Animorphs 48: The Return
by Tobias Mason Park
Summary: David's back, and he hasn't forgotten what the Animorphs have done to him. He wants revenge! And now he's going after Rachel. What's worse, none of the other Animorphs believe Rachel when she tells them about David, and the warning he has given her.
1. Something

**Imagine a picture of Rachel morphing into a Bald Eagle**

**Cover Quote: The Sixth Animorph is back, and he's not happy…**

**Inside Cover Quote: Rachel's really hit the big time…**

My name is Rachel…and I'm an Animorph. I doubt that you're familiar with the term, so I'll have to fill you in on some of the finer details of my life. What you don't need to know about me is that I'm a teenaged girl, that I take gymnastics, and that I'm maintaining a high average in most of my classes in school; things like that are pointless and trivial. Besides, when it comes down to it, things like grades, and boys and being able to bend the body in ways that seem almost supernatural don't really matter. Not when a race of power-hungry, brain stealing aliens are secretly planning to enslave the human race.

I know it's difficult to believe, but it's true. The Yeerks have already started gaining power in North America, and I'm starting to wonder if they've taken other parts of the world as well. And you would think that people would notice the presence of intergalactic aliens, but you would be wrong. Forget all about the little green Martians that you've read about in the sci-fi novels that you've read as a kid. Don't pay attention to movies like Star Wars, or shows like Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica; because, in the world of Animorphs, it's not the Wookies or the Klingons that you have to worry about. What you need to worry about is the Yeerks, and finding them is almost impossible.

In their natural forms, the Yeerks are pretty pathetic looking: greenish-gray looking slugs, no more than an inch or two. But if they manage to get inside your head—if they have their putrid bodies wrapped around your very brain—then you're in for a world of trouble. Once a Yeerk takes control of your mind you lose everything. They can move every part of your body effortlessly, and they can read every thought and view every memory. Nothing is hidden from a Yeerk once it takes hold of your mind. They are masters of disguise, and have no trouble passing off for you; so your family and friends may never know that there is something off about you. And if the thought of an alien slug taking away your freewill wasn't bad enough, here's a worse thought: you're pretty much _trapped_ inside your own head; screaming and swearing and crying, and there isn't a soul out there who can hear you. And the Yeerk will laugh at you. It will tell you how stupid you are for fighting, for screaming when you know that nobody can hear. They will mock the human race; insult your family and friends. And you can't do a damn thing about it.

Sounds depressing, I know; but it's not completely hopeless. Like I said, I'm an Animorph, and our job is to stop the Yeerks from taking over the planet. We aren't ordinary kids, if that's what you're thinking. We're more of a threat than the Yeerks can even conceive. They think we're a group of Andalite Bandits—another Alien race from the far off sectors of the galaxy, and the arch-enemies of the Yeerk Empire. I wonder what they would do if the ever discovered that the opposition to their cause was a group of teenagers; teenagers with the ability to transform into other animals.

My involvement with the Yeerks, and the Andalites, and morphing, and missions that have often left me scarred both physically and psychologically began a few years ago. A group of friends and I decided to take a short cut through an abandoned construction site across from a mall in our home town. Parents have told their kids some pretty strange stories about that construction site, but we were at an age where things like that didn't scare us…well, they didn't scare me. So, being the daring teenagers that we were, we walked through the construction site—we being my cousin Jake and his friend Marco, a lonely kid named Tobias, and my best friend Cassie.

What we found at that construction site was far more terrifying than any drifter or axe-murderer. I remember watching that Andalite space ship land a few feet away from where we had been standing at the time with a mixture of fear and curiosity. And when I caught a glimpse of an Andalite walking out of the space ship, appearing to have been wounded from a battle far off in the deep sectors of space, I felt…sad. And I only felt worse after he told us the story of the Yeerk-Andalite War, and the possible enslavement of the human race. And despite the fact that I had only known Elfangor for a brief moment, I felt as though I had known him my entire life; maybe he felt the same way.

Elfangor gave us the power to morph, through the use of a small blue cube; a box that could just fit into the palm of your hand. And with that power came many rules. We could not morph from one creature to another without morphing back into our human bodies; we could acquire the D.N.A of an animal that was in front of us, not another morph; and, perhaps the most important rule of all, we could not overstay the two hour time limit…Tobias could tell you all about the consequences of breaking that golden rule.

It seems impossible when you start thinking about the consequences and the rules. I mean, how could five humans possibly stop an entire race of aliens from taking over the world? I wonder, sometimes, if Elfangor would have given that box to just about any human, if we had never walked through the construction site. And if he had managed to find a group of kids who happened to be just as naïve and trusting as we were, would they have done a better job at saving the world?

Unfortunately, where our new lives began Elfangor's came to an end. Moments after Elfangor gave us the power to morph, Visser Three arrived; and he arrived with friends. Visser Three seemed to have a personal vendetta against Elfangor, and I could understand that: apparently, Elfangor has caused the Yeerk Empire a great deal of trouble. The Visser didn't think twice about killing Elfangor; and he did so in the most horrifying way. Rather than wound Elfangor to the point of death, the Visser morphed into some sort of monster and…and ate Elfangor whole. I think that's when I knew that the entire night hadn't been a twisted dream; watching another man die, human or alien, is just too real to be a dream. And I knew right then that I had to fight; to defeat the Yeerks and avenge this great man.

So how does Rachel the Animorph spend her free time? When I am not risking my neck fighting Hork-Bajir and Taxxons and other fellow humans, what am I doing?

I shop. I spend time with Cassie at her family's rehabilitation clinic. And I live life.

This was one of those days where, miraculously, the Animorphs did not have to save the day. We have ways of gathering information on the Yeerks, so we would definitely know if something was up. But we haven't heard anything from our friend Erek, or any of the other Chee. Tobias and Ax haven't found any new entrances to the Yeerk Pool, and we haven't seen any known human controllers acting in strange ways. For me, that was a good thing; now I could focus on things like school, or family…or maybe my questionable relationship with Tobias. But for some of my friends—like Marco and Jake—it meant that we had to be on constant alert. Marco's interpretation of the phrase "on constant alert" meant twitching and bitching every five seconds. Jake just looked around the food court every five minutes.

"I do not like this," Marco said, shaking his head like some lunatic. "Something's off about this whole thing…the Yeerks don't just take the day off."

"Can't you just take advantage of a day without Yeerks and lighten up?" I asked, stealing a fry from Jake's plate. "When was the last time you were able to sit back and relax?"

"Well, if my memory is correct, I would say…around Thursday night, one year ago." Marco mumbled bitterly. "The next night, I watched a furry blue centaur get eaten by another, evil furry blue centaur. The next few months after that were a blur."

"Well…it's not like we haven't done anything over the last few months." Cassie said. "We've given the natives of Hork-Bajir a fighting chance."

"We've taken down some of the more obvious Yeerk fronts while Jake was on vacation" I reminded him.

"We've taken down the Anti-Morphing Ray." Tobias added.

"And we've got allies in this war now." Cassie continued. "The Yeerk Peace Movement will doubtlessly come of some use."

"Oh sure, we've done a lot." Marco mumbled. "But, if I remember correctly, your leadership nearly got Cassie killed. We haven't heard anything positive from Hork-Bajir since our little adventure with Quaj…Quaj….whatever that little guy's name was. And that little morphing ray was more trouble than it was worth.

"And when we aren't fighting the Yeerks, something else comes along to ruin our lives: some merpeople with a grudge against humanity; some fanatic Andalites plotting to unleash a deadly virus upon the entire human race…and let's not forget the constant interference from the blue dude, and everybody's least favourite purple dinosaur.

"Face it guys…every time we score a point against the Yeerks, they just come back with something else…and this is just too weird for me; the way everything has been so calm over the last few days…something is definitely up."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Jake asked. "I know what you're talking about, Marco; I agree with you. Things have been going too…smoothly lately. I don't like it, but there's not much we can do. Erek is positive that the Yeerks aren't up to anything just yet. Maybe we should take advantage of this day and be…kids.

"So I'm supposed to shop for clothes and go nuts over cinnamon buns, pretending that nothing is wrong for the time being?"

"If it will shut you up." I smiled.

"That hurts, Xena." Marco said. "After all we've been through, that really hurts. I think I just might cry."

"I think I'm getting tired of Marco's jokes." Tobias muttered. "I think I've heard this one already."

"Et too, Birdy?" Marco joked. "I guess you're just going with whatever Xena says now. Xena and Bird-Boy, a match made in Olympus."

"I think Marco's finally snapped." Jake said.

"Well. If we're going to play make believe today, I think I'm going to play the role of above average hunk that beat his good pal Jake's butt at Space Invaders at the arcade. Care to join me, fearless leader?"

"Only in a world of make believe could you whip my butt at anything, Marco." Jake grinned. "What do you say boys, want to be ordinary for the day?"

"It would give me the opportunity to expand my knowledge on Earth traditions and culture." Ax agreed.

"And if anybody's going to whip anyone's butt at anything, it's going to be me." Tobias said, rising to his feet and following Jake, Marco and Ax to the Arcade. "I'll catch up with you later?" He said to me.

"If you must," I sighed, watching my supposed boyfriend walk off to play…video games. "I don't understand any of them, Cassie. I really don't."

"They're only boys, Rachel." Cassie reminded me. "And I think they deserve to have some fun."

"What, we aren't fun?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I doubt if Jake and Tobias really want to follow either of us around while we shop." She said, walking away from the table to throw away our leftovers from lunch. "And, to be honest, I'm not too big on the idea either."

"Don't you want to look nice for Jake?" I said. I must have had this conversation with Cassie a dozen times.

"Jake thinks I look fine the way I am."

"Same old arguments." I muttered.

"So…are you upset about what Tobias said?" Cassie asked.

I shrugged. "I guess I should be, but I'm not surprised." I wanted to change the subject. I knew that I felt a certain way about Tobias, but I'm not exactly the sort of person who openly discusses her feelings. That's more Cassie's style. So I said, "Do you think Marco has a point?"

"He's definitely right when he says we should watch our backs." Cassie nodded. "Things have been quiet lately. Jake's worried, he's told me. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't the least bit worried…maybe something is up. But, really, what can we do?"

Cassie reluctantly agreed to join me for some good old fashioned shopping, as long as I refrained from getting her to try anything on. Sometimes I think Cassie is a lost cause. But that doesn't usually stop me from trying to help her out. But I found myself thinking a lot about Tobias. What was our relationship exactly? We've decided long ago, perhaps at different times, that we were more than _friends_, but I'm the one who has to do all the work. I'm the one who suggests the dates, who makes the first move. Tobias just wants to go out flying. Not that there's anything wrong with that; flying is probably the second greatest feeling a girl can experience, but you can only take so much. Hell, Jake kissed Cassie before Tobias and I finally got around to that point in our relationship, and Jake's…well, he's Jake. He's as clueless as a Hork-Bajir when it comes to these things. And Tobias…well, Tobias is just as bad, if not worse.

Eventually, Cassie and I decided to call it a night and went home. There was a nature special on lemurs that Cassie was dying to tape, so she took off, leaving me to my thoughts. And I had a lot to think about: my relationship with Tobias, the lack of activity from the Yeerks, Marco's stupid jokes, my relationship with my parents—which seems to be just as rocky as my relationship with Tobias—Sara's upcoming art project, Jordan's latest school boy crush, and…well, the list just goes on. I had been thinking so much that I hardly heard Jordan call my name when I entered the house.

"Rachel, there's a boy waiting for you in the kitchen." She paused to smile before adding, "He's cute!"

My first thought was that Tobias felt guilty for leaving me to play Space invaders with Marco and Jake. I pictured him sitting there with flowers in one hand and chocolates in the other, though that really wasn't Tobias' style. And Tobias never used the front door when he wanted to see me. He'd swoop into my room through the window, and he would ask me to go flying. So who could possibly be waiting for me?

"Hey there Rachel," a blonde haired, brown eyed boy said from the kitchen table. "It's been a long, long time. How's Jake?"

David….


	2. Knowledge

"You can't be here…it's impossible." I stammered, backing into the kitchen sink behind me. "We left you on that island…"

"Yes. You all left me to die on that island." David agreed, smiling up at me. He was in his human body, wearing actual clothes. He looked as though his body had aged a bit; he could have been our age…but he shouldn't be. He should not have a human body. And yet there he was, sitting at _my _kitchen table. He, David, was in _my _house! He spoke to _my _sister, to get inside _my _house! Unless he snuck in like the rat he was; crawling through one of the cracks in the side of the house, or maybe even through the garage. How did he get his human body back? How did he get off the island?

"You're supposed to be a rat." I said, lamely.

"Oh, am I?" He didn't say anything else. Instead he smiled up at me.

"You can't be here." I repeated. "You just can't…you can't..."

"And yet, here I stand." David grinned, waving his arms around in a gesture to show that he did, in fact, exist. And all the while he grinned. He should not be grinning; he couldn't possibly be grinning.

"Your sister….Jordan, I think her name was; she's really, really nice," David smiled. "She's a very well-mannered young girl. I doubt t she would have let her friends trap a poor, lost boy in the body of a rat; do you?"

"Stay away from Jordan!" I snarled. "Get the hell out of my house and stay away from my family!" And, just to hide the fact that I was terrified of him, I added, "It would be safer for you if you went back to your island."

"Fine, Rachel. But you won't get to hear about how I finally returned." He said, picking at his fingernails. He should not have fingernails right now. He put his feet on top of my kitchen table. "And I know that you're dying to find out how I got here."

"Not really," I lied. "I always found you a tad boring."

"Huh. That's funny. See, I always found that I was the most interesting of the seven Animorphs—you're tied with bird-boy for second, though."

"You are not an Animorph!" I snapped. "You were never one of us!"

"No thanks to any of you." David replied. He kept his voice calm, like the two of us were having a mild debate over a trivial topic. "I know how you all felt about me. I know you didn't like me. I know Jake disapproved of me; high and mighty Jake Berenson. And I know that Marco never liked me. To you, high and mighty Animorphs, I was just a burden; a child for you to babysit."

"Don't give me that, David." I said. "Cassie was nothing but kind to you. Tobias and Ax could relate to you. But no; technically, they weren't human. They were _beneath _you. Face it David; you don't have any friends, because you don't want any friends."

"Ah, yes. It's the age old Animorph arguments. I was evil, and you and your friends were the victims."

"You tried to kill us!" I snarled. I tried very hard to keep my voice level, lest I alarm Jordan or Sara. "You nearly killed Jake! You thought you killed Tobias! You beat Ax with a baseball bat!"

"Now, we can go around and around in circles all night," David said. He sounded as though he was bored of my recount of his many attempts at murder. "But it's getting late, and I know how much you want to hear my story…unless there's an extra seat for dinner tonight?"

"Sorry David, we're out of cheese." I replied.

"That is a common misconception." David said. "Rats are more likely to eat trash than cheese…but you and your friends probably over looked that tiny fact when you were choosing the rat to trap me in."

"Are you going to tell your little story, or are you going to shoot your mouth all night?"

"Yes and yes." David smiled. He sat up straight; removing his feet from the top of the kitchen table He cleared his throat. "Where do we begin? Ah, yes. The last time that we all saw each other I was inside of a small, steel cage, taking on the appearance of a small, white rat. Yes. That seems to be as good a place as any to start, wouldn't you agree, Rachel?"

I ignored him and waited for him to continue. It was only after a full minute of dead silence that I realized that he was asking me an actual question.

"Yes. That sounds about right." I mumbled. "Go on…"

"If I remember correctly, there were only two Animorphs on guard duty that night…but who were they?"

"David…"

"Tobias was probably chasing a mouse in a field at the time…Jake went home with Cassie—since he is incapable of doing his own dirty work—and Marco…I think Marco was jerking off in a shed…"

"It was me and Ax!" I snapped. "We were the ones watching you that night. Ax has some sort of watch built into his system; he wanted to make sure that you were trapped."

"That's right!" David said, snapping his fingers like he had forgotten the finer details of the worst night of his life. "It was the Prom Queen and the Blue Guy…yes! That's right. Now I remember. So there I was, waiting out ever last painful minute in that cramped cage. I remember yelling a lot; screaming. I was using public thought speech, hoping that some passers-by would hear the voice of a fourteen year old boy in their heads and come to my rescue…but they didn't. Nobody ever walks by that old construction site…

"I started chewing on the little wires of the cage. I think I was hoping that, if I chewed on them hard enough, long enough, I would be able to bite my way out of the cage and escape into the night to demorph…But I knew that any attempts at escape would be futile. So, I started to scream some more. Do you recall what I said that night, Rachel?"

"My mom will be home any minute, David." I threatened. "You might want to speed up your story a bit."

"What did I say, Rachel?" He repeated. His voice was practically a whisper.

David's brown eyes met mine, and they were burning with such intensity. His face was quite still. His expression was blank, like Tobias' or Ax, when he's in human form. I saw something in David's eyes; obviously revenge and resentment, but there was something else there, as well.

"You were begging us to let you go." I answered, quietly. "You told me that you were very sorry that you tried to kill Tobias. You told me that you just wanted me to know how much I had hurt you…You asked me what I would do if I were in your position…if my parents had been taken away from me by the Yeerks; if everything that I had ever loved or cared about had suddenly been ripped to shreds…"

"What else did I say, Rachel?" David asked. He wouldn't stop staring into my eyes. Even when I looked away, I could still feel his eyes staring at me.

"You started talking to Ax," I answered. "He was relaying everything that you were saying to him. He told me that you asked him if Elfangor would condone such a thing; if he would have given the same order Jake gave him."

"And what was it that Ax said to me?" David asked.

"He said, 'I do not know what Elfangor would have done; monster's like you murdered him.'"

"Things got very quiet for a while." David continued. "I gave up hoping that either one of you would feel sorry for me or let me go; so I started insulting you…I won't deny what I said. I cursed every last one of you—even those who weren't around to hear me. I called Ax a coward and an arrogant prick. I told him that Elfangor would be ashamed of his little brother…then, I laughed at Elfangor's death…I called him weak and pitiful.

"I called Marco an arrogant wimp. I called Tobias a loser and a freak of nature. I called Cassie a tree-hugging moron. And I compared Jake to some of the worst men who ever walked the face of the Earth—Hitler, Stalin, the guy who shot John Lennon…you name it, I said it. And to you…

"To you, I made sure that I was extra hurtful. I called you a heartless bitch. I said that you were an unstoppable monster, who thrived on danger and violence…that lusted for bloodshed…who relished the thought of war and murder.

"I said a lot about you Animorphs that night; things that the old David would have thought anyway, but he wouldn't have said those things out loud…I can't deny what I said to you, Rachel, but I would never take it back. I wouldn't apologize. I'm not going to kick myself in the head for being honest."

David waited for his words to sink in. I guess he wanted me to take his little speech into consideration. Maybe he thought that I would cave in and admit that I had been wrong—that we had all been wrong.

"And then, I did something…strange; even for a twisted guy like me…" David said. "I spent my last few moments of humanity crying out to my parents. I was calling for my mommy and daddy; telling them that their little Davey boy was still alive, and he needed them. You know, they say that all mothers have this…instinct—that they're able to sense when their children are in trouble…I wonder how my mother felt during those last few minutes…

"But do you remember what you did that night, Rachel?" he asked me. "Do you remember what you said to me, while I was crying for my mother?"

"I forget…" I lied. "It was a long time ago…"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" he shouted. That was the first time he raised his voice. I was worried that Jordan would run into the room, wondering what was going on; and then what would David do?

"I said, 'Grow up David. You're a big boy now. Your mommy's in a place where she can't hear you.'"

"And then you laughed at me." David finished. "Two people lost their humanity that night, Rachel. I'll leave it up to you to decide who they were.

"But look at me; getting all teary eyed over the past." David laughed. "I guess I'll spare you the details on my time on that godforsaken rock; dodging hawks and eagles, scavenging for trash with the other rats, and the monotony of it all…really, all you need to know is that I spent a lot of time screaming out to the sea…swearing that I would come back. But nobody could hear me…"

"Someone did hear you," I interrupted. "He was some new kid; telling some other guys in the cafeteria about a haunted island."

"He was a new kid?" David laughed. "Did you guys turn him into an Animorph?"

"You claim to have an interesting tale to tell." I said. I was both terrified and irritated.

"I'm willing to bet that none of you brilliant Animorphs considered the possibility that a boat would pass by the island…Tell me I'm wrong."

"No. We hadn't thought that through." I admitted.

"I didn't think so."

"We thought you would have been dead long before that happened. At the very least, we were sure that you would just give into the rat's baser instincts."

"That's where you all went wrong." David grinned. "The eventuality of a boat passing by the island kept me sane. When I wasn't hiding from birds and eating the flesh of other rodents, I was waiting patiently by the edge of the island; biding my time. And guess what; a boat came. A group of ornithologists came by to count the bird population…imagine that.

"Well, I stowed away on the boat, and it was all smooth sailing from then on. It was only after we had finally reached civilization that I realized that I didn't exactly have a plan. I finally got off that godforsaken piece of rock; only to expose myself to more hawks, house cats and cars…I'll admit that I hadn't thought my situation through…

"I considered my options carefully." David said. He got up from his seat at the table and started walking around the kitchen; opening and closing the pantry doors, just to give himself stage business…David was always theatrical. He could have been an actor, if it weren't for the whole _trapped as a rat for eternity_ thing.

"I had enough information on you guys; information that Visser Three would kill for. But I knew that, once I spilled all of your secrets to the Yeerks, the Visser and his friends would no longer have much use for me. They probably wouldn't be able to help restore my body anyway…So I stayed far away from the Yeerk Pool…for the time being.

"I spent a lot of time at home." David continued. "The Yeerks controlling my parents thought that I would eventually return…but they started to grow impatient—like most Yeerks. They moved away. Meanwhile, I stayed at home, scaring off any potential buyers interested in my home. I've started a myth about the place…they all think it's being haunted…I've had a few chuckles.

"But I haven't spent all my time skulking around the house, wondering what the hell I was going to do next. No. I've kept myself busy. I've spent the last few months gathering information on every last one of you…" David smiled at me from across the room. "Have you ever heard the expression, _the walls have ears?_ That's where I've been all these months—inside your walls! Yours, and Jake's and Marco's…I've even been to Cassie's place…I think I can safely say that I know you Animorphs more than you know yourselves…except Tobias…those hawk eyes don't miss much; even at night….

"I've been inside your walls…I've been under your bed…I've listened in on enough of your little meetings; I know everything."

"You're lying!" I said. "You're just trying to break me."

"I know that Marco has a stack of playboy's under his bed." David replied.

"I'm sure everyone knows about that." I said. "Besides, he's a teenaged boy."

"That is true. Marco always did strike me as a horny little bastard." David agreed. "Say, Rach, what's in that leather box that you keep in your closet?"

I froze.

"I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." David grinned. "The leather one that you keep hidden in the box marked 'old family albums'…I guess bird-boy hasn't been pleasing you lately…But, man Rachel; I never would have pegged you down as a screamer!"

I lunged at David, betraying any of my previous attempts at composure. He could have been bluffing. Most girls my age have…things like that, somewhere in their bedrooms.

David laughed and manoeuvred around me. He ran behind the kitchen table, grinning like a ten year old boy.

"I know about Taylor, and how she tortured Tobias." David laughed. "I heard him tell you all about it; really touching, I must admit. And then, I watched the both of you kiss…"

I ran to David's spot, only to have him move to the other side of the table.

"I know about the genetically engineered Hork-Bajir and the existence of the arn. I know all about your little journey to the land of the Nartec. I know that Cassie nearly died, after Jake let you play team leader for a week. I know about the Garatrons as well; a couple of fast fuckers. I know about the Peace Movement and how Aftran became a nothlit…you couldn't let me get trapped as a whale? Oh, and I was there when Ax came down with the Andalite flu…Nobody told me that Erek was an Android; the guy has no scent….

He must have been lying…but then again…

"I was at Marco's father's wedding." David taunted. "It was a touching ceremony. Marco tells his dad that he's happy for him…but he hates Nora. Marco is still hoping that his Yeerk of a mother will be freed one day…"

This was insane…he couldn't have been there.

"Jake and Cassie have slept together." David grinned. "I watched them; they did it in the barn, on one of those haylofts."

Now that _had _to be a lie. Cassie wouldn't have done such a thing…and even if she had, she would have told me about it…I'm almost certain…

"Jake has contemplated leaving the group." David said. "He's thought about it on more than one occasion. He left one night; disappeared for hours…

David has finally lost it…he's delusional.

"Cassie and David talk behind your back…they agree that you have a problem."

He was definitely bluffing….but he knew things that he shouldn't; things that had happened long after he was gone. He knew about Taylor…but Tobias had only told one other person about her…He knew Nora's name…he claims to have been at the wedding…he knew about the Nartec and the Garatrons…

"Sometimes, Marco says your name when he...you know…and I know that you've done the same."

He really did know everything….

"How could you possibly know all of this?" I demanded. "How the hell did you come back?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" David grinned.

There were only two beings in this universe that were powerful enough to bring David back to his human form. One of them, the Ellimist, is supposedly on our side; he would only bring David back if he thought he had to test us…but I doubt that the Ellimist would have ever thought of using David…No. As far as I know, the Ellimist was a good guy. David was evil. They would never team up.

And then, there was the other one…perhaps just as powerful as the Ellimist. But this supernatural being used his powers for evil; to torture and kill. He created creatures known as Howlers to wipe out entire races of people. And this being hated the Animorphs as much as David did…if anyone were to help David, it was this guy.

"Crayak." I whispered. "The Crayak brought you back."

David smiled at me. I expected him to laugh like a madman. I expected him to shout _"ding, ding; we have a winner!"_ That seemed to be the sort of thing a guy like David would say. I _expected _David to do something like that. But I've learned something about David; he's full of surprises. His next surprise was probably the most shocking of all.

"Close Rachel, but no cigar."

"That's impossible." I argued. "It had to have been Crayak. Nobody else would have helped you."

"You Animorphs should know by now that the word_ impossible_ no longer applies to people like us." He walked up to me and started to circle around my still body. I had the opportunity to hurt him; he had been within my reach. But I was repulsed by David. I didn't want to touch him…And, though I would never say this out loud, I was scared of David. He terrified me. Before he was a threat…but now, he was something much more. I had no idea of what David was capable of now. He had his human body back—he may even be capable of morphing. And he had the support of something more powerful than the Crayak or the Ellimist.

"You people think you know everything." David whispered into my ear. My spine tingled. "But I know just as much, if not more. I know about the game between the Ellimist and Crayak…I think I know how it's going to turn out, as well. You should know that there are forces out there in the universe that are more powerful than either of them…There are beings out there who scare even Crayak himself…forces that could even shut up the Ellimist. Sure, they aren't nearly as powerful as God; nobody is mightier than the ultimate. They know this. But these….forces also know how to use their power properly. They know the ways around the rules of the game…sounds like my kind of people, eh Rach?"

"Who are these forces?" I asked

"I'm fucked if I know." David replied. "Just think of them as…Observers. The Ellimist and Crayak organize the game; they make the rules and they choose their players. The Animorphs and the Yeerks are the players; pieces that are moved around the board. The guy I'm working for…he watches the game being played…he's like…he's like a scout, really. He's scouting for other players to use for other games; the biggest game of all, Rachel. He picked me…he picked me…"

"I don't understand." I said. "What's this other game?"

"That game hasn't started yet, Rachel." David answered. "They're still picking their players. Just think of this game—the one the Ellimist and Crayak are playing right now—as the tutorial; you're still learning the how to use the weapons, and you're trying to adapt to the playing field. Once the rules are set, and once the players are ready, the real game begins. But the stakes are higher, and there aren't any resets."

"And this…observer found you?" I said, somewhat sceptical. It's not that I didn't believe what David was saying. There was some truth to what he said, as far as I knew. But there had to be some catch. We beat David. We took away his humanity and humiliated him. Why would this observer want a loser like David?

"I'm still not sure how or why he came to me." David admitted. He was in front of me now, so I could see a look of contemplation come across his face. He really was thinking now. He wasn't pausing for dramatic effect, and he wasn't being arrogant. David really didn't know why he had been chosen. Maybe, deep down, David knew that he wasn't really worth a second chance.

"A few days ago—maybe a week…it could have been two—this Observer approached me. I was…I had been about to throw myself onto the street; hoping that some car would come along and…and put an end to it all…I had months and months of information on you guys, and I couldn't even use it. I had been saved, only to have the universe spit at me and throw me into a worse situation than before.

"Then, time itself stopped." David said. He had a really faraway look in his eye now. He was speaking in a monologue. I may as well have been another extension of the kitchen. "And I suddenly found myself standing in a crystal palace…crystals of black and white, and silver and gold. And I heard a voice calling my name…it sounded a lot like my own. And I saw the Observer speaking to me through the largest crystal in the entire palace…he had my face…my _real _face, Rachel; I had my _real _body back. But there was more to it…he was me…but he was nothing close to what I was, all at once…he was…he was a Paradox.

"He told me that I pretty much had two options: go back to Earth and have that car run me down, or serve a greater purpose in the universe…believe it or not, I was considering the first option… I was so tired of being used; tired of being somebody else's pawn. I was tired of Yeerks, and Animorphs, and morphing…but he told me that this was a new game. He said that he would respect whatever decision I made, but hinted that the second option would benefit more than the first…

"He couldn't show me the future, but he did show me that he could keep a promise. I would have my human body back, as well as morphing powers—only he wouldn't trick me the way the Ellimist had tricked Tobias. And, more importantly, he told me that I would be a major player in the next game…All I had to do was help him find the other players."

So there it was. David was the scout; the decider. He was an agent of this Observer; like the Drode was Crayak's agent. David's grand return had been revealed. And yet, I found that I was more confused and terrified than I had been when I found David in the kitchen an hour before.

And there was this game…new players. David was going to be a major player; he was the scout. Would this game involve the Yeerks? Would the Animorphs have a role to play? I had to find Jake; he needed to know everything. But I knew David would never let me go; not when I knew so much about him. The only way I would get out of the house alive would be by killing David…I wonder if he still had the same old morphs…

"Rachel, I've brought some dinner." My mother called from the front door. I could hear Sara and Jordan rushing to help my mother bring the food. They were walking into the kitchen.

"Get out. We'll settle this later." I snarled. David just smiled at me and stood where he was.

"Rachel, who's your guest?" my mother asked.

"He says that he's her boyfriend." Jordan giggled.

"Really, Rachel…your boyfriend?" my mother asked. Obviously she didn't approve of David; good.

"Actually, what I meant was that I was one of Rachel's friends from school." David smiled. "My name is David…here; let me help you with those bags."

David took both of the bags from my mother's hands.

"Would the sink be the proper place?" David asked.

"Um…yes. Thank you, David."

"Rachel and I were just catching up on old times." David laughed. "All those good times in math class…I hadn't realized that it was getting so late…I'm very sorry to intrude. But my family moved a few months before—really an inconvenience for me—and I wanted to see Rachel."

"But you were just leaving, right David?" I said through clenched teeth. "Come on, David; your parents are probably waiting outside."

"Rachel, don't be rude." My mother said. "I don't know where she gets her manners from. Besides," she turned to face me. "If you guys haven't seen each other in a while, it only makes sense that David stays for dinner."

"Oh, I don't want to be a bother…" David said.

"Don't be silly, kid." My mother insisted. "It's a free meal."

David gave me a smug little smile that my mother must have missed. Then, for good measure, he winked at me.

"A free meal sounds great." David said. "The last meal I had…well, it was just plain trashy."

**A Happy Seventieth Birthday, John Lennon.**


	3. Table Talk

**Table Talk**

His name was David, and he was having dinner with my family. A boy who, just one year before, made many attempts to murder most of the Animorphs; and he nearly succeeded. There had been a brief time where I believed that David had killed Tobias, and I could never forget the night when Ax and I found Jake at the mall in tiger morph; body utterly motionless, lying in a pool of his own blood. David tried to kill Ax as well, and he even trapped Marco in a closet once. But David made one mistake; he underestimated us.

The red-tailed hawk that he killed had not been Tobias. Jake survived the incident at the mall and managed to demorph to his human body. Ax suffered minor injuries and the rest of us were unharmed. I for one never thought that a puny little punk like David could ever be capable of murder. After he had tried to kill most of us I made sure not to underestimate him ever again. David was a serious threat and, thus had to be treated as such.

So, we resorted to the most drastic of measures. We couldn't kill David, so we did something just as terrible: we took away his humanity by trapping him in the body of a rat, and we ditched him on an island off the coast. It was a cruel punishment, fitting for a cruel person. I'm sure that we all felt a bit guilty about what happened to David, but we knew it had to be done. I don't think any one of us ever considered the possibility of David's return. We all secretly hoped that nature would run its course; that the laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest would do our dirty work. We were sure David would die.

But David did survive. Natural selection could not run its course, because there was absolutely nothing natural about David's situation. David was right when he told me that the word _impossible_ no longer applied to the Animorphs; we were above the rules that ordinary people lived by. We had our own rules to follow, of course; our own game to play. And the game was about to reach a whole new level of difficulty. David was back and he was smarter than before. He wouldn't make the same, stupid mistakes he made the last time. He had months of information on us, and he was now in a position where he could provide the Yeerks with valuable information without worrying about the Yeerks turning against him.

And now he was sitting across the table from me, eating the meal my mother prepared for my sisters and I. My mother invited one of my worst enemies to have dinner with us, without knowing what David was capable of. And David loved every single moment! He spent the entire night complimenting my mother, and he was intentionally trying to make me look bad in front of my family. He kept saying things like "Dinner looks great, Mrs. Berenson," and, "Wow, Mrs. Berenson, you keep the house so nice and warm. I remember how my mom used to keep our old house so nice and toasty during the winter…you know, before we_ moved_." And, of course, he offered to help set the table.

"Oh, please, David." My mother said. "You're our guest."

"This is all the more reason for me to help out!" David insisted.

"I will not allow a guest to do work in my house," My mother continued. "I'm sure Rachel will be more than happy to set the table."

"Please, Mrs. Berenson," David smiled, politely. "You've invited me for dinner in your delightful home, the least I can do is set a few plates. And besides," David added, throwing me a look. "I owe Rachel one."

Eventually, my mother gave in and let David set the table. A task that would typically take a normal person a whole thirty seconds to complete, took David several minutes. He made sure to put the forks on the left side of the plate, and the knives on the right. He somehow managed to convince my mother to use the fine china for a simple meal like pasta and meatballs. He even folded the napkins like an expert; folding them into the shape of a swan and placing them into the drinking glasses. The entire time he had been setting the table, I found myself wondering where David found the time to master the art of table setting. I mean, between the time he spent as a rat on the island, and the time he spent as a rat spying on me and my friends in our home town, he couldn't have had many opportunities to pick up the skill. Unless he had been watching cooking shows for the last several months in addition to spying on the Animorphs.

"Is there anything else that I could help you with, Mrs. Berenson?" David asked. "My mother taught me how to drain pasta…"

"Oh no, David." My mother replied. "Dinner is nearly ready. But you and Rachel could go keep the girls company until then…I think Dragon Tales is on."

"Why, that sounds like a brilliant idea."

David smiled at me, his eyes still burning with a fiery intensity that frightened me so much. He kept his exterior calm, but his eyes gave me the impression that he could explode at any second; and that's what scared me. I had to do whatever David wanted, otherwise my family could suffer. And, if David was bad before we ditched him on that island, I didn't want to know what he was capable of now. So I followed David into our sitting room, where Sara was watching television, and Jordan was lying down on the couch.

"Hey there girls," David said, pleasantly. "What are you two watching?"

When David stepped into the room, I noticed that the atmosphere in the room changed. Jordan straightened herself out, and started to fix her hair. Sara, however, seemed to be tense. It looked as though she was worried about something.

"Is Dragon Tales on?" he asked, taking a seat next to Jordan.

"Dragon Tales is for babies." Sara grumbled.

"Oh, is it?" David smiled. "Well, Sara; Dragon Tales happens to be my favourite show."

Sara gave David a suspicious look, all the while keeping her distance from the place where David had been sitting. Jordan, however, had been staring at David; playing with her hair and batting her eye lashes. I never thought of Jordan as a teenaged girl before that moment, watching her flirt with David. She was only a year or two younger than I was, but I've always seen her as my cute, kid sister. Thinking of Jordan as a teenaged girl, driven by private puberty and his army of hormones, seemed abnormal. I've faced Yeerks, Hork-Bajir, Taxxons and countless other dangers. Puberty still scared the living shit out of me.

"So, you must have a lot of girls chasing you." Jordan said, casually. I could tell that she had been trying to segue her way into the conversation.

"You'd be surprised," David laughed. "Actually, I've been busy lately; you know…_moving around. _Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to do a lot of normal things, like school…girls…ordinary teenaged things."

David had been looking at me the entire time. I had a feeling that he would be doing this all evening; subtly telling me how he had missed out on an ordinary life, and how it was my fault. I noticed that he did just that when he complimented my mother on how warm are house was. _I remember how my mother used to keep the house so nice and toasty during the winters. You know…before we __**moved.**_ It was the way he said the word _moved _that did it. There was this unmistakable hate behind that one word that only I picked up on.

"So, Sara," David began. "What's it like to live with such a _great _sister like Rachel?"

Sara didn't answer. She continued to skulk behind the lamp near the television set; clinging to the shaft like it was the safe zone in a game of tag.

"It must be difficult sometimes," David continued, staring at her. "I bet Rachel can be a handful." David winked at me. I shivered.

"Sometimes, she can be a pain," Jordan answered. "But what else would you expect. Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope. My parents decided that one was enough." David replied.

"It must get boring, being an only child." Jordan said. She sounded as though she was consoling David; like he was suffering for not having a sibling to fight with.

"Sometimes I wish I could have a cute little sister, like Sara." David said. "Cute little kids always kill me."

Sara stared at David, daggers in her eyes. I knew right then and there that she did not like David. I think David knew it as well. Sara wouldn't be easily won over by cheap compliments and the subtle charm that fooled my mother and Jordan. She must have seen past the outward façade of an overly polite and, admittedly attractive boy, and caught a glimpse of the rat that lay beneath the surface. I guess it's true what they say about children and innocence; they csan spot a phony a mile away. Maybe we should have recruited Sara as an Animorph.

"So, Jordan," David said. He was switching tactics now. Sara wouldn't fall for his tricks, but Jordan had been putty in David's hand the second she answered the door. "You must be excited for high school."

"Yea…I guess," Jordan shrugged. "I don't know, it's not something I worry about."

"But you must be looking forward to meeting new people." David threw me one of those phony little smiles of his. "She's going to have to beat off the boys with a stick, at the rate she's going. You'd better keep an eye on her, Rach."

He had been threatening me. He was really subtle about it; making it seem like he had been complimenting Jordan, but I could see through the bullshit. He was threatening me, and he was implying that he would use my sister to get to me.

"Jordan doesn't have to worry," I said, speaking to David for the first time since my mother had been home. "She's a smart girl. She will find a nice boy who worships the ground she walks on. And if a boy were ever to hurt her," I added. "he would be dead before he could think twice about what he did."

David and I glared at each other for the longest time. I matched his intense stare with one of my own. I knew he wouldn't be afraid, but that didn't stop me. I wanted him to know that I would do anything within my power to protect those close to me: Jordan, Sara, my parents, Tobias, Jake, Cassie…everyone.

Finally, David said, "Well then…Jordan is very lucky to have a sister like you to watch her back."

"Yea. I guess she really is." I said.

"Kids, dinner's on the table!" My mother called from the kitchen. "Everybody wash up, please."

Sara ran into the kitchen, without turning back to look at David. Meanwhile, Jordan followed David to the kitchen table. They sat together, which meant that I would have to keep an eye on them. Sara sat beside me, keeping her head down to avoid looking at David. My mother took her place at the head of the table.

For the longest time, we ate in silence. Even I was surprised by how quiet David was being. Normally, he would try to start something. Maybe I did scare him, just a bit; enough to keep his big mouth shut. I could almost forget that David was even there. I could pretend that I was having a normal dinner with my family. I even tried to picture my father, sitting across from my mother, enjoying a meal with the family he had left behind.

"So, Mrs. Berenson," David said, suddenly. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to Mr. Berenson?"

"Oh…we divorced some time ago." My mother answered. She was obviously thrown off by such a question. She was nervous now.

"Wow…me and my big mouth," David sighed. "I apologize. I shoot my mouth and stupid questions come out every so often."

"Don't worry, David." My mother insisted. "It's fine."

"It's just so awful," David said, sadly. "I remember when I first met Rachel. She would seem so down at school sometimes. I asked Jake about it once, but he told me that it was personal."

My mother stared at me. "Rachel, you've never told me that you were having problems at school."

"I'm not!" I said, shooting David a scathing look.

"It's really sad to see families torn apart like that," David continued. "I've seen kids who have their parents broken up by divorce, and they're just not the same. Very few people understand what it's like to lose everything."

Again, David was giving me one of those subtle hints of his.

"But it's a good thing that Rachel has Tobias to talk to." David smiled.

"And who is Tobias?" My mother looked at me like David had thrown his food at her.

"Rachel didn't tell you?" David asked, feigning surprise. "There I go, shooting my mouth again."

"It's not your fault," my mother assured him. "Rachel doesn't seem to want to talk to me anymore."

So, David was trying to turn my mother against me? He was trying to make it seem like my mother couldn't trust me; like I had something to hide from her. Well…two could play at this game.

"Remind me, David," I said. "What brings you back here?"

"My father's on business." David lied. "We're renting a hotel in the city."

"Right…but, he must have enough money to buy a house in town, right?" I smiled. "I mean, being a big man in our little government."

"Your dad works for the government?" Jordan repeated. "That is so cool. Is he like a body guard?"

I answered her before David could.

"You said he was some sort of, special operative, didn't you, David?"

"You mean, like a spy?" Jordan asked.

"Well…I wouldn't say that…" David muttered. "He just works as an advisor, really. He's not exactly rubbing elbows with the president up in Washington, but his income is enough to support my mother. So, she never had to work a day in her life."

"That must be nice." My mother grunted.

"It's not as exciting as it sounds," David lied. "It's not nearly as exciting as being a lawyer."

So, David wanted to fight fire with fire, eh? Well, he was going to get severely burnt.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it exciting." My mother said.

"I've always been fascinated by law, myself." David said. "A good lawyer is all that stands between one man, and a possible stint behind bars. They're the ultimate decider."

"I think it's the jury that decides if a criminal is guilty or not," I corrected him. "And the judge bases the criminal's sentence based on what the jury decides."

"Yes, but it's the lawyer's job to convince the jury that the person on trial is innocent. The problem with the jury is that anyone can be a part of one. But a good lawyer is hard to come by."

"Sometimes the lawyer turns out to be just as twisted at his defendant." I argued.

"The same could be said of the jury." David replied. "After all, who's to say what a man is capable of?" David gave me a strange look. "When you're around long enough, you will be surprised by what mankind is capable of."

"What fascinates you about law, specifically, David?" my mother asked.

"I would say injustice," David answered. "Injustice and the hypocrisy that exists in our legal system. Nothing bothers me more than a hypocrite. If I play my cards right, I plan on becoming a lawyer myself. I want to give a voice to those without the opportunity to speak out against their oppressors. I want to help the man living in some third world African country, put on trial for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. I won't tolerate the rich buying their way out of a sticky situation; just so they can preserve their spotless reputations…I really despise injustice. And hypocrites…I can't stand a hypocrite."

"Sounds like you're getting into the wrong profession, David." I said.

"Maybe, Rachel," David sighed. "But then again, you know how bad I am with decisions."

"I had no idea that you were so interested in law, Rachel." My mother mumbled. "But, then again, it seems as though I know very little about you. "

"I guess I get a little too vocal when it comes to such a controversial topic." I said. I hadn't taken my eyes off David the entire time. He wasn't trying to be charming with me; the real David had come out now. David scowled back at me in silence. There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the room. My mother and sisters must have known, just by looking at the two of us, that we were discussing something other than our differences in opinion on the legal system.

"I think I should get going," David said, returning to his polite façade. "Dinner was magnificent, Mrs. Berenson. I hope I haven't overstayed my welcome."

"What's wrong, David; don't you want to help with the dishes?" I taunted.

"My parents are expecting me home," David lied. He wasn't scared. But he knew that, if he decided to stick around a while longer, he might let his anger get the best of him and say something that he might live to regret.

"But I'll take a rain check on those dishes." David said. "That's a promise."

He stood up to leave.

"Hang on, David." I said, getting to my feet and following him. "I'll show you out."

We walked to the front door, where David put on a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed an expensive looking leather jacket; most likely stolen. Once we were outside, where nobody could hear us—where David and I could be ourselves—we started speaking.

"Your mother's pasta was dry," David mumbled. "That woman simply cannot cook."

"I'm willing to bet that my mother's dry pasta is ten times better than a piece of trash from the street." I retorted.

"Maybe, but it's not much of a step up." David replied.

We walked to the end of the drive, a great deal away from the windows where my mother was doubtlessly spying on us. The entire time we had been standing there, I had been expecting David to attack. I nearly morphed into my grizzly. But David hadn't done anything.

"Listen, if it's a fight you want, then I'm in," I said. "Just let me pick a spot far away from town, where nobody will hear either of us."

"Believe it or not, I didn't come here to fight." David muttered. "I know, completely unlike the David you know and love; but there you have it."

"I find it hard to believe that you really came here to have dinner with my family and catch up on old times." I said, arms crossed on my chest.

"You're right," David replied. "I came here to let you know two things. One; I _will_ get back at you and your friends for what you did to me. Trust me, I will never forget the hell you've condemned me to; even if I live to be an old man. I will make life difficult for all of you. I will work with your enemies, and I will use your families if I have to. You won't be able to eat, sleep or even dream without knowing that I can pop into your lives at any moment."

"And the second thing would be?"

"I also came to warn you," he said. "But it's not just me you have to worry about. There's something much bigger than me going on here; you don't even know."

"Try me."

"I've already told you about the Observers." David continued.

"What could these Observers possibly want with us?"

"Like I said, they're looking for new players for the game. But they want to see who is worthy enough to be given a chance…there will be a competition."

"What kind of competition?" I demanded. "Does it have anything to do with the Yeerks?"

"You don't get it," David sighed. "Your war with the Yeerks is just a test. If there are any worthy competitors—from the Animorphs or the Yeerk Empire—then he or she will be drafted by the Observers. Anyone who is unworthy…" he trailed off.

"So, if we're not competing against the Yeerks, who are we competing against?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." David replied. "I think you're just too afraid to say it out loud."

"And you're going to compete against us?"

No Rachel; we're all competing with each other." David said. "Forget everything about teams and sides. Because in this game, you can never know who your team mates really are."

David turned to walk away. And as he walked down the drive I said, "You know that I was being serious back there." David stopped, but he didn't turn around to face me. "I _will_ kill you if you ever try to hurt Jordan, or Sara, or anyone else that I care about. If you want a fight, you can have one. I have no problems fighting you, or sinking down to your level. I'm not Cassie; I won't worry about morality or ethics. If you hurt anything or anyone important to me, I'll do the same to you."

David laughed, and without turning he said, "What could you possibly take away from someone without anything to lose?"

David walked down the drive without looking back at me. I watched him walk all the way to the end of my street. He disappeared once he turned the corner to the next block. I waited a minute longer and, sure enough, I caught a glimpse of a bird of some sort take off into the night. And even after David had flown out of sight, I didn't move away from my spot. I had a bit of thinking to do, and I wasn't quite ready to face my mother and her billions of questions. So, I just stared up at the sky for a long while.


	4. The Disappearance

**The Disappearance **

"So, what else is my daughter hiding from me?" my mother said, barely ten seconds after I had stepped into the house. "I really want to hear more about your double life, Rachel. How about you bring over more of your friends that I've never met before; they can tell me something about my _own _daughter."

She was_ mad_! And not the ordinary mad; like when Sara sneaks snacks before her dinner. Her face was red, and her eyes burned with an intensity that might have sent David running for the hills. She was sitting on one of the arm chairs in our living room, but I was sure that she had been standing next to the window the entire time David and I had been talking. She started to bombard me with questions the moment I had turned the door knob. She was already in mid-rant when I walked into the house. I bet she had been dying to let it all out the moment David had brought up Tobias. Or maybe from the moment David told her that I was always looking "a bit down" at school.

"I'm not hiding anything, mom." I lied. "David's just a jerk."

"Oh, really?" she got up from her spot on the armchair, and folded her arms across her chest; the way I usually folded my arms when I was angry. "Tell me Rachel; why is it that I've never heard you talk about David before? That look in her eyes was terrifying. I never thought that my mother was ever capable of looking like that.

"Rachel, you've never mentioned David, and yet he seems to think that the two of you are close friends."

"Do I have to introduce you to every single person that I've ever met?" I said. "Mother, friends move away; people move on. Besides, I'm pretty sure David exaggerated our friendship. We were never as close as he says we were."

"And what's this I hear about you crying at school?" she demanded. It's as if I hadn't spoken at all. "Rachel, I thought I made it clear to you. If you want to talk about the divorce, you know you can talk to me anytime. You don't have to bottle up your feelings all the time!"

"I'm not bottling up anything!" I snapped. "David's a liar. I don't cry at school."

"Why on earth would he lie about something like that, Rachel?" my mother asked. "He said he had no idea that your father and I were divorced, remember? You need not hide anything from your mother!"

"I am not hiding anything! Why can't you get that through your head?"

"We both know that's a lie, Rachel!" my mother retorted. "You come home some nights, exhausted and bitter. You spend all weekend with Jake and Cassie, except for those rare occasions where you just lock yourself in your room all day; sleeping!"

My mother went on and on about my strange habits, growing a deeper shade of red with every breath she took; she reminded me of a radish, or maybe a turnip. She was telling me about how I was neglecting my sisters; avoiding responsibility, forcing Jordan to babysit Sara. Apparently, I was to blame for a lot of things that went wrong around the house.

"And who is this _Tobias_?" she asked. Actually, she sort of screamed. When my mother goes off on one of her little rants, her voice just gets louder.

"He's my friend, mom!"

"Oh, another one of your _secret _friends?" my mother mumbled.

"No, mother. He is not a _secret_ friend." I rolled my eyes.

"Then why haven't you brought him over?" she asked. "It would be nice to meet this boy."

"I just don't feel like bringing him over!" I replied. _He just pops by my window every so often…_

"Where does he live?"

_In a tree across town._

"He lives with his uncle." I answered. "But his aunt has joint-custody; sometimes, he'll live with her."

"What happened to his parents?"

_He never knew his mother, and his father's an Andalite War Prince. His father's dead though; he was killed by a power-hungry alien slug in an Andalite's body._

"They passed away." I said quietly. "Tobias doesn't like to talk about it."

"Rachel, I want you to be honest with me." My mother looked into my eyes. "Are you dating this boy?"

"Mother!"

"Are you dating David, then?"

"NO!" I snapped. "I'm not dating any boys!" _Just a hawk who can sometimes transform into a boy… _"If you don't believe me, then you could just ask Jake, or Cassie. You can ask Jake's friend, Marco, if you want; they'll all tell you the same thing."

"Are you and your friends doing drugs?" She asked, lowering her voice so my sisters upstairs wouldn't overhear.

"I'm going to bed." I told her. "I am not going to bother talking to you when you're like this."

I walked away from my mother and started to make my ascent up the staircase. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Sara and Jordan, hugging the bars of the stairs, eavesdropping on my mother and me.

"Rachel Katherine Berenson, you look me in the eyes and tell me the truth!"

If she wanted the truth, she could have it. But it wouldn't be my fault if she couldn't handle it.

"Fine mom, I'll tell you the truth." I said, turning to face her. I backed down a few steps. "I'm fighting a war against a parasitic race that's trying to enslave the human race. You, Sara and Jordan are in danger of being infested by Yeerks. The Yeerks slide into your ears and take over your entire body; you become a controller. And it's not just you: Jake's brother Tom is a Controller. Principal Chapman and his wife are controllers; as are a whole bunch of our friends and neighbours. And it's not only me who's fighting. Jake, Cassie, Marco, Tobias and an Andalite named Ax are all part of an underground resistance known as the Animorphs. I'm an Animorph as well; we can transform into animals.

"And if you want to know more about Tobias, here it goes: he's the illegitimate son of Elfangor, the alien who gave us this incredible power. Ax is Elfangor's younger brother, which makes Tobias his nephew. And Tobias isn't a human; he's a hawk. He spent too much time in morph, and now he's trapped. That's why I don't bring Tobias around.

"And David—that guy who just had dinner with us a few minutes ago—he was an Animorph as well. He found the device that gave us the power to morph, and the Yeerks wanted to get it; so they took his parents. We had to make David one of us. But David betrayed us. He tried to kill Tobias and Jake, your nephew, and once impersonated Sadler! David turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, so we trapped him in the body of a rat, and we ditched him on some island.

"And, as you can see, David is back now, and he has more power and plenty of information on me and my friends. He's probably out there, right now, plotting to kill us all! But that's all fine and dandy, as long as I'm not doing drugs. Well, I'm _not _doing drugs, mother; because I would never be able to get high with such a busy schedule. Is that what you wanted to hear?"  
I had said it. I had just told my greatest secret to my mother, and my sisters were witnesses to the whole conversation. I hadn't just said it in my head; I really just let it all out. I couldn't help it, I was so overwhelmed. I had too much on my plate with David's return; I couldn't handle my mother constantly badgering me about boys and drugs. I couldn't imagine what my mother would say to that!

"Dammit Rachel! If you're just going to make up ridiculous stories, then I don't want to see you for the rest of the night. Just go to your room!"

I shrugged and walked up to my room, avoiding the looks that my younger sisters gave me. I would have to worry about my mother some other time. The conversation wasn't over; it had just been delayed for another few hours, until my mother found the strength to yell at me some more. Right now, I had to worry about David. Jake and the other had to know about David's return, and about the Observers that were supposedly watching our every move. I didn't plan on going to sleep tonight. I had to get to Jake. And I had to check on Tobias, just in case. David tried to kill him once; he may try to do so again.

The second I walked into my room, I opened my bedroom window. I then stuffed my comforter with a few pillows, just in case my mother or sisters walked in to check on me. It was completely cliché, and I doubt that it would ever fool anyone—no human is _that _lumpy—but I didn't have the time to worry about that. I tore off my day clothes and put on my morphing outfit. To think, earlier today I didn't think I would need it; Jake told us that we had the day off… I focused on the morph at hand; the bald eagle.

Morphing is…weird; obviously. It doesn't hurt—if it did, one would probably die during the attempt—but you expect it to hurt every time you morph. It's unnatural; people were not meant to change their entire DNA structure to become something completely different. And it isn't something that most people can control. One moment, your face will change, and the next thing you know, you're shrinking. Though, my friend Cassie is an estreen—someone with the rare ability to control the morphing process; emphasis on the _rare. _The rest of us Animorphs are just awkward.

The first thing to change were my arms; both changing from dangling appendages, into the large wingspan of a bird of prey. My skin darkened to match the brown colour of the eagles. The feathers popped out into 3-D, and covered whatever was left of my human arm. I noticed that more feathers started to grow from other parts of my body as well. My bones were rearranging; growing larger or smaller to match the structure of wings. I imagined what I must look like. I must have resembled a harpy.

My head was the next part of me to change. I wasn't facing the mirror in my room—not that I would even try to look at my hideous reflection—so I can't really describe the changes. I felt strange though; I could feel my skin bubbling and stretching. The middle of my face jutted outwards, and my soft red lips became the sharp beak of an eagle. My shoulder length hair turned stark white and started to shrink back into my skull. I could feel my eyes beginning to change; in shape and in quality. My senses heightened tenfold. I could see a fruit fly buzzing around my bed post, and I could hear Sara praying in her bedroom.

Next came the shrinking. But it's not what you would expect shrinking to feel like. I felt as though the floor was rushing towards me, and not the other way around. My torso changed shape. Feathers grew where feathers shouldn't be growing and some…other parts of me shrank away as though they had never been there at all. Soon enough—maybe a minute or so later—I had morphed into a fully grown, adult bald eagle; the largest bird of prey in North America. I stretched my newly acquired wings to their full length, and cocked my head to the side. Then, I took off from the ground and flew through the open bedroom window.

The thermals weren't nearly as great as they would have been during the day. It has something to do with the sun, and the heat that rises from the ground; producing an updraft. Tobias knows more about the science of thermals than any expert on birds or nature. I sometimes wonder how Tobias knew as much as he did about stuff like that. Was this all information that he was aware of before becoming a hawk—during his life as a friendless boy, who spent most of his free time in the library, reading books—or was it something he picked up after he became a nothlit?

A nothlit is a term used by Andalites to refer to someone who has been trapped in a body that is not their own; one of the consequences of overstaying the two hour limit. Tobias was a prime example of what happened when you broke this crucial rule. But I'm almost positive that Tobias intentionally overstayed the time limit. It sounds like a horrible thing to say, I know. Why would someone _want _to spend the rest of their life as a bird? What you need to realize is that Tobias' human life was awful. He was constantly being picked on at school, and he was being neglected and abused by his aunt and uncle. He told me some stories about his childhood, in confidence; I couldn't blame him for wanting some sort of mistake. Maybe things were reversed in Tobias' situation. Maybe he was really a hawk, trapped as a human.

I realize that I probably should have gone to Jake's first. Jake was, after all, the leader of the Animorphs; however reluctant he may be. But I just had to know; I had to see if Tobias was alive. Just ten minutes ago, David had said that he wasn't afraid to attack the people I cared about, if he wanted to hurt me. He would use Tobias to get to me. I guess it's odd; me thinking of a boy before thinking of a blood relative. It felt as though I was choosing love over duty. But it didn't seem strange to me. I knew how I felt about Tobias when I believed David killed him. I felt like David had killed me, personally. I would not let that happen ever again.

When I was within range of Tobias' meadow, I started to call out to him in thought speak.

((Tobias, are you awake?))

I waited for his response. But there was none.

((Tobias, are you there?)) I asked again.

He could have been sleeping—hawks don't hunt at night. I tried to keep myself calm, to think rationally. But I couldn't shake off the image of a golden eagle bearing down on a defenceless red-tailed hawk; it seemed too real to me. And, the more I thought about it, the more I started to panic. It seemed like David was always one step ahead of me; first appearing out of the blue, waiting for me in my house, and now he has gone after Tobias. I should have followed David, instead of going inside to fight with my mother.

I flew over the meadow, scanning the area and looking for any sign of Tobias. It wouldn't have made a difference if there had been five, or six, or a hundred other red-tails in that meadow; I would have been able to pick out Tobias in that sort of crowd.

((Tobias, where are you?)) I cried desperately. ((Tobias, please answer me!))

Tobias didn't answer. I started to fear the worst. I panicked. I had to find him. I landed on the ground and demorphed. Once I morphed back into my human body, I began to morph into a great-horned owl. If David was out there, he would be expecting me to be looking for Tobias. He would be on the lookout for something unusual; like a bald eagle flying around town at night. I had to keep a low profile.

I'll skip the details; morphing an owl wasn't really much different from morphing the eagle. When I had finished the morph, I took off and started to think of placed where I could find Tobias. There weren't many places for him to go, really: there was his meadow and Ax's scoop. He might have been at Cassie's barn, but that wasn't very likely. I doubt if he had ever visited Marco or Jake at night, the way he would visit me. I couldn't picture Tobias pecking on Marco's window, asking him to go flying with him; they just weren't that close. So I flew to Ax's scoop in the woods.

I could see Ax's scoop; it was a good ten feet away.

((Ax, are you awake?)) I asked, flying towards his little home in the woods. ((Ax, can you hear me?))

There wasn't an answer. Did David get to Ax, as well? No…no, that was definitely impossible. Ax was a trained aristh in the Andalite military; he could handle David in any morph. I mean, Ax has gone tail to tail with Visser One himself, and he always managed to come out of that alive. David may have been a threat, but he would never have the balls to take on Ax alone. Ax was alive; I just had to get his attention.

I landed near Ax's scoop. It really wasn't much to look at; basically an Andalite-sized hut. Ax kept a lot of personal belonging in his scoop; the most precious of these possessions being his television set. The guy was a member of a race of super-intellectuals, but the simplicity of television fascinated him.

((Ax, it's me, Rachel!)) I cried. ((Ax, please wake up! Tobias is missing!))

((I can hear you Rachel.)) Ax said. He stepped out of his scoop. I'm not adept at reading Andalite facial expressions, but I could tell when someone is tired. ((What is so urgent?))

((Tobias is missing.)) I repeated. ((I couldn't find him at his meadow.))

((Rachel, I am quite certain that Tobias is safe.)) Ax said sagely. ((Perhaps he is trying to ward off an owl that has strayed too far into his territory. He tells me that happens a lot.))

((No. I think he's in trouble.)) I shouted. ((We have to go look for him))

((Rachel, you must calm yourself. Tobias is fine.)) Ax promised.

((Ax…you have to trust me on this…)) I said quickly. ((Can you promise to hear me out?))

((What is it that I must, "hear out", as you say?))

((David's back.)) I said.

((Rachel, that is impossible.)) Ax assured me. ((David is a rat. You know this.))

((He's not a rat anymore. He got off the island.)) I said. ((He can morph again. He's back!))

((That simply cannot be.)) Ax argued. ((There is only one being I know that is powerful enough to help David. The Ellimist would never help David.))

((The Ellimist didn't help David; neither did Crayak.)) I snapped. ((Something…else helped David. You have to believe me. David was just at my house. He had dinner with my entire family; I was there!))

((Forgive me, Rachel,)) Ax sighed. I could tell he was very tired. ((But you are delusional. David has not returned.))

((Ax, David told me—right to my face—that he would not stop until he has killed us all. He said he would hurt our families. I know he tried to kill Tobias tonight. Come on, we have to find them!))

((Clearly, you are not thinking, Rachel.)) Ax sighed. ((But, if it is of the utmost importance to you, I will help you look for Tobias. But, I think it would be wise if we discuss this with Prince Jake. While I am almost positive that you are wrong about David's return, we must tell Prince Jake.))

((Alright…but use your great-horned owl morph,)) I replied. ((I don't want David to think we know he's up to something…And let's try to fly apart.))

I didn't wait for Ax to complete his transition to great-horned owl. I was so anxious; I took off for Jake's house while Ax was half-way between bird and alien. All I could think about was Tobias. He was probably asleep when David barred down upon him, taking on the appearance of the golden eagle that he loved so much. The thought of David and Tobias made me all the more determined to get to Jake's place quickly.

I started getting a weird sense of déjà vu. I was doing exactly what I had done the last time I thought David murdered Tobias; flying around in a blind rage, searching for David with murder in my heart, never stopping to consider the possibility that Tobias might have been alive. But I couldn't help but doubt that David had failed to kill Tobias a second time. David didn't strike me as the sort of person who didn't learn from his mistakes. Besides, I'm sure David had months and months to think about where he had gone wrong the last time.

I landed on Jake's windowsill. I started pecking at the window pane, crying out to him in thought speech. ((Jake, wake up!))

In the dark, I could see the silhouette of a tall boy, crawling out of bed and walking tiredly towards me. He opened the window and poked his head out.

"Do you have any idea what…"

((David's back!)) I interrupted. ((I think he's trying to kill Tobias again.))

"What do you mean David's back?" Jake asked. "That's not…"

((Don't you dare say it's impossible!)) I snapped. ((He's back, and he has his human body back as well. We have to find Tobias now!))

((Prince Jake…Rachel appears to be distressed.)) Ax said. He sounded out of breath, even in thought speech. I'm not sure if it had something to do with my waking him up at a very early hour in the morning, or if he had tired himself out trying to catch up to me. He landed on a tree branch by Jake's window, as I seemed to be taking up most of the space on the windowsill.

"Rachel, you must have had a bad dream or something." Jake suggested. "Or, maybe you're feeling restless…because we haven't been doing a lot about the Yeerks lately."

((David was in my house!)) I screamed. ((He had dinner with _my _family. And he told me that he wouldn't stop until he's killed us all! David is back!))

"You have got to calm down!" Jake said seriously. He was speaking to me like he was my leader, and I was disobedient subordinate. "You aren't making much sense right now."

((Jake, I wouldn't have come here tonight if I wasn't completely certain that Tobias was in danger.)) I said. ((You have to believe me. David is back!))

Jake swore under his breath and rubbed his temple with one hand.

"Alright, Here's what we'll do," he began. "Ax…I want you to go to Cassie's and tell her about our…situation. I want everyone to meet back at Tobias' meadow in twenty minutes.))

((As you wish, my Prince.)) Ax said.

As Ax flew away from his spot on Jake's tree, Jake mumbled, "Don't call me Prince."

((Jake…what are we going to do?)) I asked. ((I mean, with David back…))

"We're going to get Marco." Jake said, interrupting me. "You can tell me all about David on the way there."

((We'll go great-horned owl,)) I said to him. ((We don't need David on our tail…we probably should have told Ax to tell Cassie…))

Jake said nothing in response, but started morphing. Within minutes, the two of us were flying towards the Hork-Bajir valley to get Marco. I was filling Jake in on the last three hours of my life, telling him about how and why David returned; making sure to include all the details about the Observers and this _new game_, and how David openly threatened my family.

((Another game, huh?)) Jake said. ((And we're supposed to be competing with each other for a spot on this Observer's team?))

((Apparently. David seems to think that he's already been chosen.))

((This doesn't make sense.)) Jake sighed. ((Why would they choose David, of all people?))

((I don't know.)) I said. ((He says he doesn't know either. He must have something they want.))

((I mean, I could see Crayak doing something like this. He's twisted enough to use David to get to us. But these Observers…it seems very odd, to tell you the truth. We know nothing about them, and neither does David, apparently.))

((So, you believe me, right?)) I asked. ((You think David's back?))

((I'm not sure.)) Jake admitted. ((I know that you wouldn't make up something like this. And maybe you weren't imagining it.)) He paused. ((But I don't think David's back; not really. This has to be some kind of trick. This all seems like something the Drode would come up with.))

((So, you think that the Drode sent an illusion to trick me?)) I asked, trying to keep my voice level. ((Jake, it wasn't an illusion. I saw the _real_ David—in his _human _form! Jake…you weren't there. If only you could have seen him. The way he looked at me…Jake, there was murder in his eyes!))

((Maybe…)) he sighed.

((If you want, we can turn around and go back to my house. You can ask my mom.))

((We're not too far away from the Hork-Bajir valley,)) Jake told me. ((There's not much point in turning back now.))


	5. Ethics and Shakespeare

((This is insane!)) Marco said, for what seemed to be the millionth time.

((Will you please shut up!)) I snapped. ((I'm really not in the mood for you whining!))

((You wake me up at three in the morning with some bull story about rat-boy eating dinner at your house. _Then _you bring up this mysterious game that'll have us all at each other's throats. And now, rat-boy has apparently murdered bird-boy in cold blood. What part of any of that isn't completely and totally…))

((Shut up, Marco!)) Jake snapped. ((Just stop talking for five minutes!))

Marco got really quiet after that. I think he finally understood how serious this all was, now that his best friend was telling him to shut his mouth. Marco tends to make jokes out of uncomfortable situations. I'm not sure why, exactly. Jake stopped talking as well. I had been thinking about Tobias, of course. All in all, it was a pretty awkward trip to Tobias' meadow.

Cassie was waiting for us beneath Tobias' favourite tree; in human morph. Ax was still in Harrier morph, scouting the area in case there were any bystanders. Though, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to hang around a meadow at three in the morning. Nobody spoke for the longest time. Even Marco managed to keep his mouth shut. Finally, Jake spoke.

"Alright, I'm guessing that we all know why we're here tonight."

"Not exactly," Cassie said. "All Ax told me was that David has somehow returned."

"Alright then," Jake sighed. "I guess Rachel will have to fill you guys in…Rachel?"

I took a deep breath and told David's story for a third time that night.

"Ax, what do you know about these _Observers_?" Jake asked, once I had finished.

((I have heard no such term before Rachel mentioned it to us tonight,)) Ax answered. ((At least, not in the context she is speaking of…There may be a slight chance that beings as powerful—if not more powerful—than the Ellimist and Crayak exist. Until recently, I believed the Ellimist to be an Andalite myth…It's possible that these _Observers _exist, and they may also have the ability to restore David to his human form…))

"But you don't think it's true." I finished.

((I am sorry, Rachel.)) Ax said. (Until we have evidence of David's return—or of the existence of these _Observers_—I cannot find reason to believe that David has returned.))

"Well…maybe he did." Marco said, slowly. "I mean in some sense. It's like Rachel said, none of us considered the possibility that David would—or even could—get off the island. He could have snuck on a boat. He could be back in town. Sure, he might not be human, but he could still be a threat to us, should he get in touch with the Yeerks."

"That's true." Cassie nodded. "If a boat did happen to reach the island, I could definitely see David using it to get back to shore."

"But would he turn us over to the Yeerks?" I asked. "He hates us, but even David admitted to being wary of them. He told me that he was afraid they'd kill him after he exposed us."

"And, even if he did return, would he have survived?" Marco asked. "Let's face it, he's a freaking _rat_! Sure, he could have escaped by boat, but what would he have done once he reached land? There are a lot more birds here than the island."

"A lot of this is still hypothetical," Jake said. "We still need to find Tobias. That's what bothers me right now. He wouldn't disappear like this."

"Alright, but let's say just for the sake of argument, that Xena is right about rat-boy. What do we do then? I mean, he nearly killed us the last time, and that was almost effortlessly! The only reason we got rid of him the last time was because he never expected us to do what we did…Do you really think."

"Marco's right," I said. "He's a lot smarter now. He knows all of our secrets. If he doesn't go to the Yeerks first, he's going to go after our families. He's going to try to turn us against each other. He really wants to get us back."

"Oh man, Jake." Marco groaned. "She just agreed with me. She must be serious."

((Prince Jake.)) Ax said, speaking for the first time in a long time. ((If it is alright with you, I would like to demorph.))

"Ax, you don't have to ask!" Jake said. He was really annoyed now.

((I am aware of that, my Prince.)) Ax said, landing in front of us. ((But I felt it was necessary.))

Ax started to demorph to his Andalite body. Jake sat down on the grass, rubbing his temple. Cassie and I sat beneath Tobias' tree, while Marco paced back and forth. When Ax had finally finished demorphing, Jake started to speak.

"Alright, so we're going to start looking for Tobias."

"And how, pray tell, are we going to do that?" Marco asked. "Don't tell me you have some sort of wire on bird-boy."

Jake ignored Marco like he usually did when it was time to be serious. Instead, he asked if any of us had seen Tobias since we had left the mall.

((Tobias was with me at my scoop.)) Ax replied. ((He and I were watching a chapter of _Friends_. It was the chapter where Chandler visits his father's…))

"Did anything else happen?" Jake asked, impatiently.

((Tobias did not stay long.)) Ax continued. ((We made what Tobias referred to as _small talk_, and the said he wanted to hunt before it got too dark. I haven't seen nor spoken to him since.))

"What did you talk about?" Jake asked.

Ax looked like he didn't want t answer. However, seeing as Jake was his _Prince_, the aristh was inclined to answer.

((I do not think Tobias would appreciate my telling you of our personal discussions. But I will do so if you wish, Prince Jake.))

"I just want to know if he said anything of importance. If it was too personal, then you don't have to tell us." Jake said. "And don't call me Prince."

((He simply wanted to know more about Elfangor. I think he has been feeling particularly melancholy lately."

"Anyone know why he'd be feeling down?" Jake asked.

"You're kidding, right?" Marco snorted. "He lives in a tree and has three square meals of rat a day. I think that alone is a good enough reason."

"Tobias didn't mention anything else?" I asked. "He didn't say if he would be back, or if he was going to see me?"

Again, Ax looked like he was holding something back. But I wasn't his _Prince_, so he didn't have to tell me anything if Tobias swore him to secrecy.

((I'm truly sorry, Rachel.)) Ax said, sadly. ((But Tobias did not mention anything else other than his desire to hunt.))

I got to my feet and started to morph.

"Rachel, where are you going?" Cassie asked.

"I'm going to David's old place." I mumbled. "He said he's been living there for months. I'm going to kill him."

"You knew where he's been hiding and you didn't think to mention it?" Marco cried.

"It would be best if you stayed here, Rachel." Jake said. "Marco and Ax can come with me to scope out David's place. We'll check to see if he's there."

"Sure, volunteer me to spy on the psycho." Marco grumbled. "Jake, I won't lie to you; David scares me. I mean he really, really scares me."

"I think he scares us all," Jake agreed. "But he's human. David still has weaknesses like the rest of us."

"I'm going with you." I said, defiantly. "I want him dead."

"And that's why I want you to stay here." Jake said. "I can't risk having you freak out the moment you see David. You're staying here. That's final."

I can tell that he wasn't going to say _that's final_. He was going to say_ that's an order_. But Jake doesn't like pulling rank on someone if he can help it. I was still his cousin, even if he was the unofficial leader of the group.

But he still sounded degrading either way.

"You don't give me orders Jake." I snapped. "Not when Tobias' life is at stake."

"Rachel, Jake's right." Cassie said, touching my shoulder in a way a friend would when trying to calm you down. "Tobias will most likely come back. Don't you want to see Tobias when he comes back?" She gave me a reassuring smile. "You know Tobias, Rachel. He's a survivor. He's survived in the wild—under threat of eagles and owls—and he's outsmarted David once before; he'll do it again. I'll wait with you; even if it takes all night."

"So we'll go to David's tonight." Jake said. "And you two stay here."

Jake, Marco and Ax began to morph into their bird of prey morphs. The entire time Marco had been mumbling the same three words: _"This is insane!"_

I watched as Jake, Marco and Ax took off into the night; taking on the appearance of a peregrine falcon, a Northern Harrier, and an Osprey, respectively. The way they had been flying—the way all three of them had just been engulfed by darkness—reminded me a lot of David, and how he just seemed to _disappear _into the night; like he had never been there at all. And that just made me start to wonder if I had just imagined him all together. Maybe Marco was right and I really was _insane_. Maybe my mom had a point about me being overworked. I mean, I had to balance the life of a teenager with the life of a guerrilla warrior who carried the fate of the world on her shoulders. Maybe it had something to do with how quiet things were with the Yeerks; my recklessness and thirst for battle. Maybe I was really bored, and my mind conjured up the single greatest challenge I had ever face; the elusive David. Had things gotten so crazy that I stopped being afraid of Visser One?

And then I started thinking about Tobias. Here I was, sitting next to Cassie beneath one of many trees in Tobias' meadow, while Tobias was out there somewhere—probably being tortured by David. The love of my life was out there, and I had no idea if he was alive or dead. Why? Because Jake knew me so damn well! He knew how I would react if I was within striking distance of David. And I won't deny it either. If I was given the chance to kill David, I wouldn't hesitate. I wouldn't think twice; I'd just go in for the kill. And I wouldn't even bat an eyelash; I wouldn't shed a single tear; I would feel no guilt whatsoever about that little rodent! Why should anyone beat themselves up over a monster? In fairy tales, do the knights feel remorse after slaying the dragon? Hell no! They walk over the dragon's scaly, slimy corpse and save the princess! Well, I was going to slay the rat and save my hawk!

And then I thought of a million different ways to carry out David's murder; each more vicious than the last. I would sneak up on David in bear morph and bat him around with my paws. I would tear down the foundations of his house, morphed as an elephant, and trample David until he was nothing more than a faint smear on the floor. I would burn down his entire house! I would sneak into his room, late at night, and rip out his heart with my bear hands! I would gouge his eyes out with a pin and pour salt into the sockets! I would castrate the son of a bitch! I would hunt down his parents, murder them and grind their remains into a fine powder, and I would force David to eat their bloody flesh! I would—

"Rachel, you've been really quiet." Cassie piped up. "I know you aren't the type to spill your feelings, but I think it would do you some good."

"I don't want to talk." I mumbled. I was staring blankly at the space in front of me. I couldn't see anything, but that didn't matter. "I just want to kill David."

"Do you think you would even be able to, if you were given the chance?" Cassie asked, quietly. She must have been frightened by what I said. But she also wanted me to talk; even if talking meant me spilling out threats about killing David.

"I wouldn't even have to think about it." I answered, coldly. "We should have killed him that night. We shouldn't have trapped him. I had him right there; in my talons! I could have squeezed the life out of the little rodent!"

"But he's not a rat anymore, is he?" Cassie argued. "I mean, you said he has his human body back now. I'm sure you would find it difficult to kill David if he was in his human form."

Cassie paused before adding, "Killing an animal is one thing. But killing a human is a more complex thing. We're all capable of taking another life, but you'd have to be pretty deranged to take a human life."

"Humans, Animals…they're all the same." I mumbled. "What makes us any different?"

"I'd like to think that we have souls," Cassie said.

Then, I looked Cassie right in the eyes and asked, "What about Hork-Bajir? Or Taxxons? Or Yeerks? Don't they have souls, too?"

"I'm not so sure," Cassie said, thoughtfully. "They're thinking beings. I'd like to think of them as having souls."

"I've killed Taxxons, Cassie." I told her. "I've killed a lot of Taxxons. I've also killed Hork-Bajir. There have been a few moments where I've lost control over a morph—like, right at the beginning of this whole stupid war—and I would kill a small animal. Tobias doesn't see a rat or a snake as something with a soul, because he's a predator, and the rat is the prey. So if I can kill a Hork-Bajir and feel absolutely nothing, I'm sure I can kill David."

"You have killed," Cassie nodded. "War is one thing, but murder is another story all together. You can't come back from an organized murder with your sanity intact, Rach. Once you take a life, it's gone, Rachel. Don't you remember what happened to Macbeth?"

"Now really isn't the time to discuss Shakespeare." I mumbled.

"Then listen." Cassie replied. "I know you've read Macbeth. Do you remember what happened to Macbeth and his wife after they murdered Duncan?" Cassie waited for me to answer. I just shrugged in response. "They went mad, Rachel. Lady Macbeth was driven to insanity. She constantly dreamt about murdering Duncan. Remember that one line? _'Out, damn spot?_'" Again, Cassie waited for me to answer. "She couldn't wipe her hands clean of the deed, Rachel."

"I guess she should have scrubbed harder." I mumbled.

"Rachel, it's a metaphor." Cassie said.

"Yea, no shit."

"And Macbeth couldn't stop at just one murder. He had to keep killing just to secure his position on the throne. He killed Banquo, and had MacDuff's entire family slaughtered. And even with the throne—all the titles he had earned throughout that whole ordeal—Macbeth had nothing. He still wasn't satisfied. His wife killed herself and Macbeth didn't even bat an eye. He lost everything. He had everything he wanted and still had nothing. His obsession consumed him."

"So you're afraid that I'll end up like Macbeth and his wife?" I sighed. "You're afraid that I won't just stop with David…you think I'll turn against my friends, too?"

"Rachel, I'm saying that I don't want you to be consumed by hate." Cassie replied, softly. "Hate drives people to do some pretty terrible things. Take a look at the Yeerks and the Andalites. They've been fighting for decades, and I doubt they even know why they despise each other so much. What do you think Ax will do once he finally kills Visser One?" Again, she wanted me to answer her.

"I don't know. Maybe he'll throw a party." I said, sarcastically.

"Do you think his hatred for the Yeerks will just end with Visser One? Or will he just go on a rampage, like Macbeth; trying to fulfill this void in his life out of some need to keep his brother alive, or to gain some sense of honour.

"There isn't a day that goes by where I don't regret what we did to David." Cassie said. "Sure, you and Ax were the one who waited while his humanity ticked away, but I was the one who came up with the plan! I _robbed _him of his humanity! And I have to live with that for the rest of my life, Rachel! It's a guilt that never goes away. I don't want you to live the rest of your life with David's blood on your hands."

I let Cassie's little speech sink in. She was probably right, but that still didn't stop the murderous thoughts that filled my head.

"I can't just let him get away with what he did." I said. "Cassie, think back to the hell David put us through. Am I supposed to let all that go, as if it never happened?"

"I didn't say that." Cassie said.

"Well, I'm not going to let him get away with it." I told her. "Not when he threatened to kill everyone and anyone close to me. David talks about injustice; he claims that we robbed him of a life. Well, if he's going to play judge and jury, then I'll do the same."

"We both know that it's not our place to pass judgement." Cassie said. She looked up at the sky. I looked up as well. "I'm sure David will be judged by something much more powerful than any of us. He'll get what he deserves, eventually."

I leaned up against the bark of the tree, staring up at the moon. I hadn't noticed, but that silver orb in the sky was nearly full tonight. Within a few days, it would be complete. Tobias and I used to look at the moon sometimes. There were some nights when he would fly through my window, and I would just sneak out with him and go flying. We would fly around town, no longer bound by a curfew. The world was ours at night. And once we were done flying, we would sit beneath this very tree; both of us in human form. He would eventually pluck up the courage to put his arm around me, and I would rest my head on his shoulder. We would never do anything crazy or wild—we had only just gotten past the whole kissing stage, after all. And now, I might never see Tobias ever again. We would never get to do some of those crazy and wild things that I've dreamt about…

"Tobias…" I whispered.

I started crying. It's not something that I do often; especially not in front of others. But I felt the tears coming and I couldn't stop them. I didn't try to stop them. I didn't even mind that Cassie has been watching me the entire time. I knew that crying over Tobias would do me some good. Crying reminded me that I was human and not some machine that had been designed solely for the purpose of war, violence, bloodshed and murder. Suddenly, I had the urge to curl up in my bed and eat an entire tub of rocky road ice cream. I hated myself for thinking about something so cliché.

And the tears wouldn't stop. Soon, I was muttering Tobias' name over and over again. I was sobbing and I couldn't stop. I lost control of my emotions. I heard Cassie say something, but I couldn't make out the words.

"Rachel, do you want me to take you home?"

"No. Tobias might come back." I sobbed.

Cassie nodded and put her arm around my shoulder, sort of like how Tobias used to put his arm around me during one of our dates. I rested my head on Cassie's shoulder and cried some more. The hours passed by pretty quickly and the sun was rising before we knew it. Cassie kept drifting into and out of sleep all night. I didn't want to wake her, so I slowly removed my head from her shoulder and walked a short distance away; where she wouldn't see or hear me morphing.

I flew above the meadow in my bald eagle morph. I wasn't going anywhere in particular. I guess I was just trying to vent. I guess I just wanted to lose myself in the mind of the eagle; to take a break from the girl Rachel. She was far too human. The eagle was sharp, unfeeling and swift. I wouldn't be crying anytime soon; not in this body. Besides, flying around and circling above the meadow relaxed me. The thermals weren't nearly as great as they would be later on in the day, but they were comforting. Tobias would have enjoyed it…

I caught a glimpse of something running down on the ground below. The eagle's eyes noticed it pretty quickly, like a reflex. From a hundred feet in the sky I could clearly see a juicy looking rodent scampering off towards a small burrow. The eagle's instincts kept telling me _let's go! Let's get the rat! Let's do it! Let's do it!_

Let's do it indeed…

I dove towards the ground at an alarming speed, never taking my eyes off of the rodent—it looked like a rat! He was fast, but I was faster. It was ridiculous how much faster I was! I let the eagle's instincts take over; he knew what it was doing. The eagle was an expert hunter! This rat could have been speedy Gonzales; he still wouldn't have gotten away. And the eagle and I would enjoy a feast!

The rat was within reach! I could hear it squeaking in fear. It was nice, seeing something else being so afraid. Maybe the little rodent knew the end was near? He was just running to delay the inevitable. There may have been hope, but the rat was doubtful. I don't think it was really surprised when I clamped my talons around its soft, squishy little body.

The rat squealed and squirmed. I looked down at my prey, wishing that I could grin. I wanted to smile down at the little rodent and laugh at its misfortune.

((You're dead, David!)) I laughed in my head.

The rat continued to squirm. It was a pathetic looking creature. I stared at the squealing mess that lay beneath me, covered in brown fur from head to toe, shaking its tiny pink fists in the air...

It wasn't a rat at all; just an ordinary field mouse. For one thing, it was far too small to be a rat. I was a bit disappointed; the human part of me, that is. The eagle couldn't care less. It could have been a mouse, a rat, a shrew or a freaking vole and it still wouldn't have cared. The eagle just wanted to eat. So, I just gave in and let the eagle enjoy its meal.

I felt my talons squeeze the life out of the poor, defenceless mouse. It twitched for a moment and let out a strained squeak. It was a really pitiful noise. It was dead. The eagle made short work of the mouse; tearing its head off with its powerful beak and ripping away at the skin with its talons. Within seconds, there would be little evidence that a mouse had ever been there at all.

I could hear noises now. I heard the sounds of beating wings; other creatures like me. I looked up at the sky to see three other birds of prey: a falcon, a harrier and an osprey. Those other birds would never think about attacking me. I was a lot bigger than them. I was the king of the sky. I dared them to try to attack me.

((Rachel, is that you?)) A voice called out.

((It appears to be Rachel's preferred transportation morph.)) Another, more sophisticated voice said.

((Aw, shit Xena!)) A third, more annoying voice groaned. ((What did you do?))

I don't know.


	6. Girl Talk, Lies and Flies

**Girl Talk, Lies and Flies **

"So, what's the story?" Cassie asked.

We were at Cassie's barn now. All of us were in our human forms. As an Animorph, we're inclined to meet up and go on dangerous missions at unusual times of the day. Sometimes we'll sneak out at three in the morning, while other time we'll meet up at midnight. I still find it strange, being up so early; especially on a Saturday. Ax was in human morph, just in case one of Cassie's parents came in, wondering what the hell we were doing in the barn so early.

"There is no story." Marco said, flatly. "We were waiting around David's old place all night long. We didn't see any sign of him."

"He must have been out all night." I reasoned. "He went after Tobias. That's why he wasn't home."

"No Rachel. You don't get it." Jake replied. "David hasn't been living there. We watched the place all night. Another family is living there now."

I shook my head, stubbornly. "That's impossible." I said. "He told me that he's been scaring away anyone who shows interest in the house. He was practically bragging! He said people think it's haunted!"

"Well this family must be pretty darn brave." Jake replied. He sounded very upset. "David isn't there, Rachel. The only people living there is a small family of five. We watched them through the windows."

"They looked like a nice bunch too," Marco said. "Two little guys were sleeping in a crib; a pretty girl down the hall, and mommy and daddy makes five. They have three dogs as well; all dachshunds"

"I don't believe it." I said.

"Well believe it." Marco snapped. "I'm really starting to get tired of hearing David's name."

"Marco's right." Jake nodded. "What we really need to worry about is Tobias. He still hasn't show up."

"We waited by his tree all night." Cassie told him. "We didn't see any sign of him."

"I am beginning to get worried, Prince Jake." Ax said, suddenly. "It is not like Tobias to disappear without telling anyone."

"I agree." Jake said. He was rubbing his temple again. I think he was forming a new habit. "This is bad. Worst case scenario—he was taken by controllers who recognized him."

"Or, he's dead." Marco said, flatly.

"Shut up, Marco." Jake snapped, punching Marco in the arm and nodding slightly towards me. Marco mumbled an apology and shut his mouth.

Jake thought to himself for a few moments before he started talking again. "Alright, I want everyone to go home and get some sleep. Try not to be seen sneaking in. I'm going to head back to the scoop with Ax, to see if Tobias is there."

We all nodded. I was more reluctant, but I was far too tired to just disagree with Jake. Ax demorphed to his Andalite body and starting to work on his Harrier morph; Jake went falcon. Once the two of them were done, they took off; leaving three Animorphs standing silently in a barn.

"How did he do it?" I mumbled to myself.

"How did who do what?" Marco asked.

"David. How did David manage to convince that family to stay at his place?"

"Dammit, Rachel!" Marco snapped. "David is not back!"

"Marco he had dinner with my family last night!" I shouted. "I'll take you back to my place. We'll wake up my mom and you can ask her yourself."

"As nice as it sounds—you asking me to go back to your place—I'm tired." Marco mumbled. "I'm not going on another wild rat chase. The only home I'm going to is my own."

Marco morphed an Osprey and was back in the air in about three minutes. Cassie was silent for a long time; staring at the barn floor and avoiding my gaze.

"You don't believe me, either. Do you?" I asked.

"It's not that, Rach." Cassie sighed, chancing a glance at me. "I think Jake's right. You should really worry about Tobias; not someone who…may not be here."

I shook my head and stormed out of the barn. Cassie didn't try to stop me, either. She knew better than most to leave me alone when I was angry. And right now, I was pissed! Not only had David managed to get away, but none of my friends believed me! Tobias was…somewhere, and none of us were any closer to finding him. And I still couldn't figure out how David managed to get that family to live in his old house! Was he simply hiding out there, without their knowing? Impossible! He wasn't a nothlit anymore. Unless he could only morph a human for two hours at a time, he wouldn't be able to stay in one place without being seen for long. I mean, what kind of family would agree to share a house with a deranged, murderous teenaged boy? An odd, deranged, murderous teenaged boy at that! What person would be twisted enough to agree to that kind of a relationship? What was this, some deranged version of the _Real World: Animorph Edition_?

I was a good distance away from Cassie's barn now. I didn't bother to morph and fly home. I wanted to think. Usually, I'm calm when I'm in morph. But right then—at six in the morning—I wanted to go for a walk. I had to really try and think about the situation at hand. David—gone and at large. Tobias—gone and possibly at the mercy of David. I had a vague sense of what David was planning, and that was revenge. He wanted revenge! He wanted to get back at the Animorphs for ruining his life. He also had his morphing powers and human body back, which meant that we couldn't just take him lightly. He was serious; just as he had always been. We were the enemy, and he wanted to dispose of us.

But we weren't his only enemies. The Yeerks were the ones who ruined his life; we just made things worse for David. And Visser Three was the one who infested David's parents; so things between he and David were personal. Sure, David hated us—me and Jake especially—but he also hated Visser Three. And, if I knew David—and I'm sure I did—then he would use one enemy to destroy the other…

"So that's what he's doing!" I said, stopping. "So he's working with the Yeerks now."

The Yeerks would do anything to get rid of the threat of the _Andalite Bandits_! They despised us just as much as we despised them. We were a thorn in the side of the Yeerk Empire. And if some strange, morph capable human was offering the Yeerks a solution, why wouldn't they accept? With such a powerful ally, the Yeerks may actually succeed in the enslavement of the human race. David knew enough about us to be of use to the Yeerks. And if the Yeerks were ever to double cross David—which the most definitely will—David will be strong enough and smart enough to defend himself. They didn't scare him anymore; not when he's seen what hell really looks like. If anyone other than us Animorphs should be afraid, it's the Yeerks.

But David wouldn't just forget about the hell the Yeerks put him through. Sure, he'd use the Yeerks to get back at us but would he be able to keep himself from hurting them? David always struck me as the guy who was determined to get what he wanted. He did try very hard to eliminate each of us one by one. David wouldn't think twice about double crossing the Yeerks. For now, David is an ally of the Yeerk Empire. But once we're out of the picture, he'll turn on them.

What really concerned me was that my friends weren't taking me seriously. They think I'm just distressed about Tobias. Jake thinks I'm feeling reckless because the Yeerks haven't been up to anything lately. Yea, right; as if I just imagined David inviting himself into my house for dinner. But I had proof! My mother served him a meal! My little sister was flirting with him all night! That intense look that burned in his eyes whenever he looked at you—that was real! Nobody could just imagine something as real as David. And yet, my friends think I'm crazy!

I walked into town. Cassie's barn was about a mile or so from our high school. So Cassie usually had to take the bus to school. I kept looking over around, knowing full well that David could be just about anywhere now. And, even worse, he could be just about _anyone_! That thought scared the hell out of me!

We Animorphs have a rule about morphing other humans. Sure, we're technically only morphing into genetic copies of the person, but it still feels wrong. We all agree that it's something a Yeerk would do. There have been only a handful of moments when one of us who morph a human, and that was only when we couldn't find an alternative.

But David wasn't one for rules. He broke practically every rule that we abided by as Animorphs. He morphed for personal gain. He attacked other Animorphs. And he morphed not just one human, but several—including my cousin Sadler and Marco. So I just had to assume that everyone I passed by was David in disguise—or, at the very least, a Controller. I jumped every time someone I knew said hello to me. Hell, I caught a glimpse of a stray dog and nearly jumped out of my skin.

I had to sneak back into my own house, which meant I would have to hide in a bush or something, morph, and fly through my bedroom window.

Once I was back in my bedroom, and after I demorphed, I crawled into my bed and tried to go to sleep.

You'd think that after crying all night under some tree in the middle of a meadow that sleep would come easy to me. But you'd be wrong. I had my eyes shut for a good hour before I finally gave up at any attempt at a sleep. I couldn't help but picture David standing above me while I was asleep; wearing that awful lion-like grin of his and wrapping his hands around my throat. And it didn't help that I kept picturing the bloody remains of a red-tailed hawk lying at the foot of the bed.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." I groaned.

I opened my eyes to see my little sister, Jordan, standing above me. She was wearing sweat pants and a pink top.

"Mom made waffles." She said. "Are you alright? You look out of it."

"I'm just a bit tired." I mumbled, faking a yawn.

"You couldn't sleep, eh?" she said, sitting at the foot of my bed; where I imagined Tobias' lifeless body.

Suddenly, a question popped into my head.

"David was over for dinner last night, right?" I asked.

Jordan gave me a weird look. "Yea, of course."

"So you definitely saw David?" I pressed.

"Yes, I saw David." She repeated. She looked worried now. Jordan was _always _able to tell when something was bothering me. My own mother could hardly tell what I was thinking about most times. Jordan, Tobias and Cassie were the only ones who knew we more than I knew myself. Tobias…

"Rachel, are you alright?" She asked, visibly concerned.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I assured her. I even faked a laugh just to convince her. I don't think she bought it completely. Like I said, Jordan knew me well. "Trust me. There's nothing wrong." I added.

Jordan nodded, but still looked as though something was on her mind.

"Is everything alright with _you_?" I asked.

"Yea." She said. "Yea…well…you know."

"What is it?" I said, giving a genuine laugh. "Or should I ask_ who_ is it?"

"What makes you think it's a boy?" she asked, blushing.

I loved teasing Jordan; especially when she was blushing. Especially when there was a boy involved. Little things like that—girl talk amongst sisters—provided a distraction from the life of an Animorph. I guess that's why I'm always at the mall, shopping.

"So, what's his name?" I demanded, poking her in the shoulder.

"I don't want to say," she said, blushing some more—if that was even possible! "You're going to laugh at me."

"I swear I won't laugh." I assured her. I placed my right hand above my chest and raised my other hand in the air. "Scout's honour."

"You were never in scouts." She told me.

"It's an expression. Just spill the beans…that's another one."

"He's too old for me anyways." Jordan said, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. Let's just go downstairs and eat."

I grabbed her by the arm. "Not until I get a name. Tell me it's not Marco!"

"Of course not…well, not any more, at least. I'm over him now." She answered.

Suddenly it dawned on me. A voice ringing in my head. A girl's voice, asking a question: "you must have a lot of girls chasing you."

"Please tell me you don't have a crush on David."

"I can't help it!" she cried.

Well, I kept my promise. I didn't laugh.

"Rachel he's _so _cute. And he was so nice to me last night." She hesitated. "And…ok, you're going to laugh. But, when he was talking to me…I don't know; I felt…things." Her face turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Things—what things?" I asked, sharply.

"Things, things!" she repeated. "You know; the things they talk about in school." She rolled her eyes and mouthed the words _Sex ed_.

My sister had the hots for David! I could barely keep myself from throwing up just at the thought of someone in my family being attracted to David. That was like me dating Marco! Of all the boys Jordan had to have a crush on, why did it have to be the one who tried to kill me and my friends? I was actually starting to wish that she had a crush on Marco! I mean, sure, Marco was a dork, and sure he was annoying and unfunny and putrid and short and lame and arrogant and corny and moronic and jumpy and snarky and…did I already say annoying? But at least he wasn't David!

"Please don't say anything to him!" Jordan begged. "I like him a lot…Please Rachel, not even as a joke!"

"I won't tell him." I promised. I gave her a really serious look right then. "But I don't want you going near David. I'm not bringing him over anymore."

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything." She said.

"It has nothing to do with what you said." I told her, truthfully. But what could I tell her, that he was dangerous? I couldn't tell her the truth about David, because that would involve telling her about the Animorphs, and I couldn't tell her about that. So, instead I lied. "He fools around with a lot of girls."

Jordan raised an eyebrow. Maybe she couldn't picture David dating a lot of girls. Neither could I.

"He's too sweet." Jordan said, shaking her head. "He was so nice last night."

"Listen, I know you have a little crush on him," I told her. "But I've known David for a while. I've seen him at his worst." That wasn't a lie. I don't think a person could get much worse after you've seen them kill, or even attempt to kill another human being. "You have to trust me when I say that David doesn't care about any of the girls he dates. He's a heartbreaker. He just moves from one girl to the next."

"Why is he like that?" she asked. "I mean, I really like him!"

"David's…David is an odd guy." I said, lamely. "He has issues."

"I know you really liked him." I sighed. "But you're still very young. You think that you have all these feelings building up inside you just because David was a little nice to you. Believe me when I tell you that you are _not_ in love with David. Trust me; you'll have to go through a lot of guys before you meet that one special guy who makes your heart fly…"

"Fly?" Jordan repeated, eyebrow arched.

"I didn't say fly." I lied. "I meant beat. A guy who makes your heart beat fast."

"But I felt…weird when I was talking to him yesterday." Jordan said. She was blushing again. "He made me feel…excited. I kept hoping that that he would kiss me."

"Ok, hold up!" I said, quickly. This was going to be one of those conversations. This was going to be the sort of talk that a mother should give to her daughter. "Maybe you should ask mom about this…or a teacher…or somebody else…"

"Rachel, I can't ask mom about something like that! She would get all weird and giggly; she'll refer to books and start using the word hormones every five seconds. And come on! You want me to ask the _teacher?_"

She did have a point. I mean, who better to talk to about puberty than an older sibling or cousin? I still felt _very _uncomfortable. But I couldn't just leave her in the dark.

"Alright, for starters," I began. "What you're feeling is definitely not love. You were…excited, because you're at an age where seeing boys makes you…excited…And the hormones…" I hesitated. Clearly I shouldn't be having this conversation with anybody. "And a lot of boys are going to start showing interest in you now that you have…things…But you have to remember, they're _boys_! They don't think with their brains where girls are concerned. The one who really cares about you is the one who stares at _these_," I said, pointing to her eyes. Jordan laughed a bit.

"Alright, I think you said something about waffles?" I said, trying to get off this very awkward topic.

"Yea, mom told me to get you."

"Then we'd better hurry." I said, rising to my feet. "Before Sara eats all the waffles."

Jordan laughed. Halfway through the door, I realized that I still had to get dressed. I was under the covers, so Jordan didn't notice that I was still wearing the same outfit from last night.

"Tell mom that I'll be down in a bit." I said, smiling. "And be sure to save me a plate."

Jordan nodded and made her way down the stairs. I went back into my room to change. I usually spend a great deal of time selecting my outfits, and today would not be an exception. So, I started raiding my drawers for something that would make me look _stunning_, as Tobias would have put it.

I closed the bedroom door and stripped out of my morphing outfit. I changed into some black lingerie and put on a pair of jeans and a top. I was almost out the door when I heard something that sounded like laughter…

Laughter in my head!

((Damn, Xena! Where have you been hiding _those_?))

I turned on the spot. Nobody was there. He was in morph, obviously.

"David, where are you?" I snarled. "Don't hide. Come out and face me."

((Let's play hide and seek!)) David suggested. ((I'll hide. You start counting.))

I scanned my bedroom, looking for the slightest trace of an insect. If I couldn't find David, that would mean he morphed into something tiny; like a cockroach or a flea.

((I was very hurt by what you said to Jordan.)) David said, pretending to sound upset; like he had been insulted. (("David's a heartbreaker. He doesn't care about the girls he dates". Really, Rachel. It's like you don't know me at all!))

"You're all talk!" I snapped. "I want to fight you. Let's go! Grizzly and Lion!"

((I'm not in the mood.)) David said, pretending to yawn. ((I think I might go down stairs for some waffles!))

I turned around in a complete circle. I looked at the walls, the furniture, the mirror…But I couldn't see any sign of David. I would have definitely seen David on the wall; even a beetle or a cockroach would be visible to the eye in this room!

"You aren't going anywhere." I said. "We're going to have a chat. Where were you last night?"

((I was out, _mom_!)) David answered. ((But don't you go thinking that I didn't notice Jake and his little bodyguards hanging around my parent's place. Marco wouldn't quit whining about how _creepy _the place looked.))

"How did you get those Controllers to cooperate?" I asked. "How much do they know?"

((Controllers?)) David repeated. He was trying to sound innocent; like he really didn't know what I had been talking about. ((I have no idea what you're talking about.))

"Save it." I snarled. "Jake told me that some family has been living at your house the entire time. I want to know how you did it."

((Yeerks tend to do whatever you want when you have something important to tell them.))

"You've contacted them?"

((I've spoken to a few higher ups.)) David replied. ((You could imagine how surprised they were when I walked into the Yeerk Pool. The Yeerks are under the impression that I'm dead. Chapman nearly had a heart attack when he saw me. It was hilarious!))

"You've spoken to Chapman?" I repeated. "So you've told him about us?"

((Rachel, think about this for a second.)) David said, annoyed. ((Do you think your family would still be downstairs, eating waffles, if the Yeerks knew that the great _Andalite Bandits _were a bunch of kids?))

No…I hadn't thought about that.

((For now, your secret remains safe with me.)) David assured me. ((I don't want to have all my eggs in one basket.))

"But they'll make the connection." I argued.

((That's very true.)) David agreed. ((They're still convinced that you guys were Andalites who kept me around because you felt bad about killing an innocent bystander. I convinced the Yeerks that I gained the power to morph when I first touched the cube. I told them that I wasn't wanted amongst the _Andalite Bandits_ and left town. But I don't know how much longer the Yeerks are going to go along with it. Chapman seems to think that at least some of you guys are human."

"So, the Yeerks agree to help you keep a low profile in exchange for information?"

((Some information,)) David agreed. ((And maybe a little more.))

"Don't make promises you can't keep, David," I jeered. "You'll find yourself in some pretty hot water if you can't deliver to Visser One."

((Oh, but I've already found what I wanted, Rachel.)) David said, pleasantly. ((I'm keeping it safe for the time being. I'm not ready to hand it over to the Yeerks; not just yet.))

"Tobias!" I said. "You kidnapped Tobias.))

David didn't say anything.

"I'll kill you!" I cried. "I'll kill you for taking Tobias!"

((You should keep your bird on a leash!)) David sneered.

I grabbed something from my desk—a paper weight, an electric sharpener…who knows—and chucked it at the wall.

((You missed by a long shot!)) David laughed in my head. ((But I'm closer than you think.))

I grabbed a book and threw it at the floor; only to have David laugh even harder. I started picking up things at random; sending them flying across the room, hoping one of those hard objects would meet its mark and crush David in whatever pathetic form he was using. The last thing I had thrown put a hole in my wall.

((Hey Rachel, look down!)) David said, laughing.

Suddenly, I felt something crawling against my skin. David was crawling on a part of my body. He was on my top!

I started swatting at my torso. A fly flew into the air, heading towards the wide open window. I started to chase after the putrid insect; clapping my hands in hopes of trapping David. If I managed to catch him, I would put him in a jar and I would watch him for two hours. If he thought the rat was hell, wait until he spent a lifetime as a fly. And if he tried to demorph, I would smash the jar with my foot and kill him.

((Yea, good luck catching a fly!)) David sneered, buzzing around my head. ((It would be far more productive if you tried to catch the air in front of your face; or maybe a paramecium! I'm too fast for your clumsy old…))

I caught him in my hands! I kept them cupped together, careful not to squash him. No, I would trap him. I just had to find a container to put him in. There—the music box on the vanity.

The fly in my hands buzzed around madly. It tickled my hands. It felt like touching the special cloth that you use in the laundry; fuzzy. David's constant buzzing was making my teeth tingle.

"You're going to spend the rest of your life as a fly, David!" I laughed. "You shouldn't have taken Tobias. You should have stayed on your Island. You should have…"

"Rachel!" My mother screamed. She had chosen that moment to walk into the room. She looked around the room, staring in awe at the multiple holes and cracks in the wall, and the various objects scattered across the room.

"What was all that noise?" She demanded. "I heard you talking to someone…And you sounded like you were throwing things!"

"Nothing mom!" I snapped. "Just go—I'll be downstairs in a minute." David was buzzing around in my hands. I had nearly let him go!

"Rachel, what's that in your hand?" My mother asked.

She stepped towards me.


End file.
